


Nightwalkers

by ClaireOMack82



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Paranormal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:27:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27019540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireOMack82/pseuds/ClaireOMack82
Summary: As the Legends start to experience increasingly creepy and dangerous events, none of them know how to stop the thing that is lurking in the darkness beyond their dreams.When something goes bump in the night, it's not always next doors cat.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 31





	1. In the dead of night

Nightwalkers

chapter 1 - In the dead of night

Loba was sat up in bed, the small lamp at the side of her bed the only light in the room. It cast soft shadows across the room. She was reading about an auction coming up, there were a few items that she was interested in. She had no intention of bidding for them however, but recently the urge to go out stealing had waned. Maybe it was the games, maybe it was something else, but she did not get the same buzz in her stomach when she thought of breaking into that auction house.   
Turning off her pad and placing it next to the lamp Loba rolled over slightly, intending to flick off the light and turn in for the night, after all she had a big match in the morning and competing half awake was never a good idea. Just as her hand reached for the switch there was an almighty crash. Jumping up and snatching the bed sheets from her Loba stood up. Muscles tense, body slightly hunched over, and small knife in her right hand.   
Loba stood next to her closed door and listened, the lodge seemed silent, which was odd in itself, usually a noise like that would have brought everyone running, but instead there was nothing. Not for the first time Loba wished she had her P2020, but there was a strict policy of no guns in the lodge. No guns and no tech, except she always had her bracelet on her, they couldn't get her to take it off, and had finally given in, as long as she promised not to use it against the other legends. She span the bracelet around her wrist now, it glinted in the soft light still coming from the lamp. Then she heard distinct footsteps. They were coming down the hall. Slowly, almost like whoever was making the sound was attempting to make no sound at all. Loba's hair stood up on the back of her neck, there was something very wrong about all of this. She backed away from the door slightly, moving to the side so if someone was to try and come in she would be hidden behind it.  
The footsteps drew ever closer now and Loba felt her heart beating inside of her chest, rapid pumps as her adrenaline surged through her body. She briefly wondered why she was hiding, why she simply was just going out there and facing whomever was coming down the hallway. She was after all a Legend and an accomplished fighter. Yet her feet remained glued to the carpet, her body almost frozen as she listened to the footsteps stop right outside her room.

Loba held her breath, listening intently at the wooden panel in front of her. She could here nothing on the other side, the lodge had fallen silent again. She lent forward pressing her ear to the cool door. Then a quite tapping came, she jumped back, knife out body low.  
"Loba. Loba you awake." A hissed voice came through the door and Loba cringed as she realised that whom ever it was on the other side had simply knocked. The hushed tone of the person's voice made it difficult to discern exactly who it was, but the tone was familiar. Standing upright and gathering herself Loba reached forward and pulled open the door.  
"Damm it Elliott get in here." Loba said as she saw the trickster standing in her doorway looking flustered, and somewhat nervous. she grabbed his arm and pulled him over the threshold, closing the door quickly behind them.  
"You here that crash." He asked quickly still looking around like someone was about to pounce out of the wardrobe and murder him.  
"Yes, of course, seems like we are the only two to have noticed though. I expected all hell to break loose, but nothing." Loba then said realising why Elliott was so on edge, this was odd to say the least.  
"I know, I was awake reading, the wham, I think it came from the kitchen. I walked down the hall but didn't go in when I realalised no one else was coming to investigate. I came back here, saw your light on and well you know the rest." Elliott continued, his eyes now looking around her room with more interest than before.   
"So are we going to find out what happened, or were you just planning on hiding in here al night?" Loba then said and for the first time noticing that Elliott was wearing a simple pair of black shorts and a whit T-shirt. Probably his sleep wear which would make sense as it was very late. Now Elliott looked uncomfortable for an entirely different reason. Trying to look anywhere but at her, as Loba folded her arms across her chest suddenly and quite unexpectant self conscious. Her thin top did not hide the fact that she wasn't wearing underwear and her sleep shorts rode low on her hips and high on her thighs. It got pretty hot here on Solace and it was just way more comfortable. Also she was slightly glad she wasn't wearing her negligee. Something she put a stop to when she ran into Anita one night in the hallway. It had been a long awkward silence then, and several longing looks for a few weeks after.  
"Umm no, no I mean I guess I didn't really have a plan, I just thought you know seeing as everyone else was asleep, or maybe I don't know something worse." Elliott then said as Loba smirked slightly at the man's obvious discomfort.   
"Ok ok, just breath, Come on lets go and see what happened, it could be nothing more than a few dirty plates falling off the sideboard. It's not like many of these slobs clean up after themselves." Loba then stated, giving the man an easy out, as she moved towards the door. Loba found herself hesitating as she grasped the door nob. There had been no further commotion after the initial crash, but the silence was beyond eerie. Taking a deep breath Loba finally turned the knob and opened the door.

the hallway beyond was dark, but not completely, there were small up lights built into the wall that stayed on all night, they let out a soft glow, but left dark spaces in between. Loba peered into those shadows now, but she could see nothing, no movement, no shapes against the dark walls. Elliott's hand on her shoulder made her visibly jump, and the trickster caught hold of her arm as she almost tripped over a decretive plant pot.  
"Damm it Elliott, you trying to give me a heart attack." Loba then hissed at him, keeping her voice low, she had no idea why, but it seemed appropriate.   
"Sorry, it's just you know, pretty creepy." Elliott admitted, and from Loba's reaction she was thinking the same thing.  
"I know." She replied simply, now taking hold of his hand and moving back down the hallway towards the dark doorway to the kitchen. Elliott's heart gave a little flutter at the feeling of her soft hand in his. But this was not the time or the place to be thinking about things like that. The doorway looked like a dark chasm, there was no up lights in the kitchen, or the living room that lay beyond. the ones in the hallway were curtsey lights, but they did not extend further into the lodge.  
Loba paused at the doorway, her eyes scanning the darkness, but she could see nothing beyond the shadows. Anita as usual had closed the curtains, and shut everything off for the night. Loba always ribbed her for staying up and making sure no one had left the toaster on, but right now she wished the woman had forgotten a lamp, or something to light their way now.  
"You see anything?" Elliott asked beside her as he too looked into the kitchen.  
"No, I'm a thief not an owl." Loba hissed back as Elliott chuckled beside her. She felt strangely pleased that she could make him laugh, even at a time like this.  
"Come on lets just hit the lights and get this over with." Loba then said deciding that whatever was going on two Legends could probably handle it, their fear was beyond irrational now, and Loba relalised they were feeding off one another. So she stood up straight and strode across the room and hit the light switch. Holding her breath the entire way but forcing herself to keep going.  
"What in the world?" Elliott stated as they looked and saw that every cupboard in the kitchen was open, every draw and even the towel rack under the sink had been pulled out of its little cubby hole.  
"Who would do this?" Loba then stated, for this was no accident, someone had done this on purpose. One cupboard could be explained, but all of them.  
"I don't know." Elliott stated as he approached the kitchen and looked around for any clues, but there was nothing. Loba moved past him, and towards the fridge which had remained closed, but was caught abruptly around the waist and pulled pack.  
"Watch out, look." Elliott then said not removing his hands from her but pointing over her shoulder to a broken glass jar. Tiny shards covered the floor, the only recognisable part was the rim. It was the jam jar she had rinsed out after finishing it earlier that morning.  
"Thanks." Loba said knowing that if she had stood on that glass in her bare feet it would have been very painful.  
"You're welcome." Elliott said now suddenly letting go of her and stepping back, now seeming unsure of himself and beyond uncomfortable.  
"I think we should wake the others, something isn't right here." Loba then said deciding to ignore whatever had suddenly got Elliott all flustered and moved to one of the open cupboards and pulled out the dustpan and brush that she knew was kept there.  
"Umm ok, but one of them had to have done this, and I don't know maybe it was a prank, I would feel pretty silly for waking them over a prank." Elliott then said coming over and crouching down next to Loba as she clean up the glass from the floor.  
"I know what you mean, but it's a pretty bad prank, and why, no one except us came and even saw it, unless they wanted people to find it in the morning, but somehow I don't think so. If you want to scare people it's much more effective in the dark." Loba said now rising and taking the pan over to the bin and pouring the glass into it. It made a slight tinkling noise as it hit the almost empty base.  
"Plus someone could have really hurt themselves on that glass, I just don't see it being anyone of us, but I also know there is no one else here." Loba then stated leaning herself back against the counter, hands braced behind her as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. It must have been the adrenaline wearing off, but all of a sudden she felt beyond sleepy.  
"You ok?" Elliott asked as he saw Loba rock slightly on her feet, and almost tip over to the side. His initial reaction was to reach out and grab her, but after almost embarrassing himself earlier he decided against it. Holding her back from treading on that glass had stirred Elliott Jr and he had all but thrown her off him to cover it up. Elliott had no desire to explain that one, especially under these circumstances.  
"I'm fine just tired, it's been a long day." Loba replied as Elliott nodded his head in agreement.  
"I suppose we have no choice but to wake the others, I don't think I could sleep knowing about what happened here." Loba then said righting herself an obviously shaking off the sleep that threatened to over come her.  
"Yeah I guess, want to go together, I mean some of them can be pretty mean in the morning, I dread tot think what they will be like being woken up in the middle of the night." Elliott said a small smile spreading across his face as Loba nodded back at him and made her way over to the door.  
"Come on then, but you're doing Anita." Loba stated over her shoulder and Elliott shivered.

They were all gathered in the living room, each eyeballing one another after they learnt about what had happened. No one was above suspicion even Loba and Elliott, who Anita pointed out could easily have done it then ran back to their room. Hoping someone would wake up and find it.   
"Ok so assuming any of us could have done it, the question is why." Loba said pacing up and down as everyone else sat on the sofa's and chairs around the living room. Each had a cup of coffee and each looked tired but obviously worried.  
"To get a reaction like this obviously, someone wanted to scare the holly hell out of us, and look they managed to. Well at least to two of us." Anita said eyeballing Loba as she walked past her, but the Latino did not acknowledge her scathing look.  
"Right, but why I mean it seems pointless in the long run, I mean we have a limited field of suspects, they are bound to get found out at some point." Loba stated coming to a stop behind Elliott and resting her arm on the sofa behind him. He was perched on the arm, his body tense and his eyes flicking across each person one by one. Loba didn't care what Anita had said about it being one of them, she had seen Elliott's reaction to what had happened, his fear in the darkness, he had not done this, he was the only one she trusted right now. And from the looks he was giving the others, before turning a small smile in her direction, she knew he was feeling the same way.  
"What is this princess, some old crime book where the detective gathers all the suspects and tells them who done it why and how. I don't think you are exactly the crime fighting type." Anita continued, and Loba couldn't help notice the way Anita was so defensive, so hostile, she would have to ask her what was going on, but not right now.  
"No I don't think I'm qualified either, but I would like to suggest that whomever did this let that be and end, no more pranks, no more midnight forays. If that happens then I guess we can forget about it and move on." Loba then said hoping that drawing a line in the sand would put an end to all of this, but she had a sneaking suspicion that this was no over, not by a long shot.

Loba looked at the wall clock, it was almost two am, and the rest of the Legends had retired back to their beds. Yet Loba could not sleep, even as her eyes felt heavy and her body felt limp, she still could not switch off her mind. So she sat on the sofa, hot tea in hand and curled her kegs under her as a shiver ran up her body. The hairs were up again on her neck stood up again, the feeling that she was no longer alone came crashing down on her, and she sat up fast, scanning the room and seeing nothing. Yet the feeling of being watched did not leave her, and Loba stood up. Hoping that it wasn't that damm deamonio watching her from a dark corner somewhere. She knew he did it to wind her up, but there was something more insidious about it than that. Now though as she walked through the communal rooms, she found no one. The feeling remained the same, Loba felt like she had eyes on her, it was a very familiar feeling, and yet this time something was off, it was cold in the room. very cold where once she had been comfortable, even a little warm, now she shivered.  
Her resolve crumbling, Loba trotted down the hallway, intending on going to the safety of her room, but she stopped short, noticing the light coming from under Elliott's door she made a quick decision and knocked. Not bothering to wait for an answer Loba opened the door and darted inside. Whatever was happening felt like it was getting closer, and Loba had no intention of finding out what was stalking her through the hallways.  
"What in the world, what's going on?" Elliott said as he shot out of his bed, pulling his clothes straight as he came over to Loba who was lent hard against the door frame.  
"I think, damm it this sounds insane, but I think something is out there. I think something is watching me." Loba then stated her chest heaving up and down from sucking in air at too fast a rate. Elliott didn't know what to do. This seemed strange especially coming from Loba who was normally so logical.  
"Do you want me to go and check, I mean you know what Revenant is like, it could just be him messing with you." Elliott said as Loba started shaking her head.  
"I thought that too, but it isn't, no one is there, yet something is there I can feel it." Loba replied now moving away from the door and starting to pace the room. It unnerved Elliott as he watched her, and then felt it, something was here. It felt like icy tendrils down his back, made the hair on his arms stand on end, and a shiver run through his body.  
"Ok, that's strange." Elliott stated not wanted to freak out, and make Loba even more on edge.  
"You feel that too?" Loba asked almost excitedly, and Elliott could understand why, she probably up until this moment thought she was going mad.  
"Yep feels like someone opened the door and let in the cold air, the just stood there looking at you." Elliott replied and Loba couldn't have described it better herself. Then all of a sudden it was gone. The room warmed up, and the feeling of eyes watching left. Loba collapsed on the bed her body going immediately limp and useless as the tension leaked from her muscles.  
"You know I don't want to say this but I think we may not be the only ones in this lodge, I think something else is here, something we can't see, or touch." Loba then said her eyes turning up to Elliott's as he looked down at her before joining her on the bed.  
"You know you sound a little insane right now don't you, and I guess I must be insane too as I think you're right. That was not normal, if anything is normal around here." Elliott continued as Loba fell back on his bed, her head hitting his pillow and her body flat against his sheets. His heart started beating rapidly at the sight. He couldn't help it even now as they sat talking about, what ghosts, sprits, even something worse. It was an odd time to think about how he had longed to have her in his bed, and now she was here it was under very odd circumstances.  
"You know we can't tell the others this, not until they feel it to, they would have us carted off to the funny farm." Loba said not moving as Elliott shifted uncomfortably on the edge of his own bed.  
"I guess, but is it better that they still suspect each other, I mean we still can't rule out that it was one of them, and this is all in our heads, considering what we have been through tonight. We're tired probably a bit high on adrenaline, things will look better in the morning." Elliott couldn't believe what he was saying, but right now his only job was too make Loba feel better, she was obviously shaken by her experience, as she was usually so poised so confident, and now she was collapsed on his bed staring intently at the ceiling.  
"You're right of course, everything looks better in daylight, in the dead of the night things are, different." She looked at him then, her amber eyes connecting with his own, her stare was unnerving for different reasons, but the main one was how it was unblinking and unafraid. Elliott's heart gave a little stutter as Loba turned on her side and appeared to be making herself comfortable.   
"Umm well, you know." Elliott started but he really didin't know what to say, he was hardly going to ask her to leave, but where was he supposed to sleep. Elliott knew where he wanted to sleep, he wanted to curl right up behind her, and pull her close, but it wasn't like things had gotten to that stage between them. In fact the woman had been here for nearly two seasons now, and yet Elliot felt like he hardly knew her.  
Loba obviously noted his problem and gave him a small smile.  
"Sorry I am commandeering your bed, but I just don't feel like going back to my room right now. Would you mind, there is plenty of room for the two of us." Loba stated her usual flirty tone back as Elliot couldn't help the blush rise on his cheeks, and the downward slide of his gaze.  
"I mean sure, yes of course I understand, but I can sleep on the floor if you like, I have extra blankets, and there is probably a spare pillow around here somewhere." Elliott said feeling beyond awkward now as Loba sat up a bit propping herself on her elbow and looking at him intently again.  
"It's ok Elliott I can't ask you to sleep on the floor, Look I'll go I can see this is making you uncomfortable." Loba then said sitting up and Elliott almost went into a panic.  
"No no it's really it's fine honest, I mean if you don't mind, I don't really mind either, could be nice, I mean cozy, no I mean comfortable." Elliott stopped then as Loba let out a small laugh, and he watched as her shoulders shook as she turned her face down to the floor.  
"Hey you laughing at me, that can be very hard on a guys ego you know." Elliott then said feeling somewhat put out as Loba turned her face up to his, and her smile melted away all the anger he had briefly held.  
"No sorry not at you exactly, just at this situation. Here we are huddling in your room, because I think there is a damm ghost running around the lodge, and your all awkward about it, and gentlemanly, and all I want is some company because of said ghost which is probably all in my imagination. Look I know I can be a little full on at times, and teasing you at this moment probably doesn't help, but believe me I am grateful, and I really would just like to sleep here tonight, and if your here too that wouldn't be so bad." Loba finally finished and Elliott couldn't help but smile at her. It was pretty silly now he thought about it. It wasn't like she had prepositioned him or anything, just asked for some company, Elliott could do that.  
"Hey sure, and It's not silly, and not in your imagination, well I kind of hope it is, but that doesn't make you mad or anything, and anyway I felt it too, remember." Elliott said as Lob laid herself back down, her eyes slipping closed, and all she managed was a murmur of agreement. Elliott smiled slightly, he looked at her now, asleep looking somehow smaller, more vulnerable. Elliott stood up and pulled the sheet up over her body, sliding himself in between the sheets and trying not to touch Loba too much as he found a comfortable spot to lie in. Elliott made sure to keep his distance as much as he could, there was only so much tension he could take.  
Loba was just drifting off as Elliott climbed in beside her, she could feel him edging his way carefully in beside her, not touching her in any way. For a moment she thought about turning over, and pulling him in close, but the moment passed as a loud bang, followed by a crash made Loba shoot upright once more.  
"What the hell not again." Elliott hissed as they both jumped up and ran for the door. This time neither of them hesitated, running down the hallway and stopping as they heard the shower running the in bathroom.  
"In here quick." Loba said pulling the door open, and hearing the rumbling of others as they too woke at the commotion.   
"Oh my, Anita." Loba cried as she pulled back the stall to the shower cubical, the woman was sat in the basin, her head lolled on to her shoulder, blood running from what looked like a deep head wound. The water was on, and the steam coming from it blurred Loba's vision. Thankfully Elliott then reached over and turned off the spray, as Loba pulled Anita forward and checked her pulse. It was there strong and steady, she was unconscious though and that head wound looked nasty.  
"Hey someone get Ajay." Loba shouted as more people crowded into the small bathroom, and the medic pushed past them and crouched down beside Loba.  
"What happened?" She asked as she examined the wound and checked Anita over for any other injuries.  
"No idea we just heard a bang and then we found her, Did she fall do you think?" Loba asked moving back now and letting Ajay work as Anita seemed to start coming round.  
"How, where am I." Anita asked hand going to her head before Ajay slapped it away and began healing her.  
"You don't remember, we found you here the shower was on, but your fully clothed." Loba said now noticing Anita's state of dress. It was fairly obvious the woman had not been in the middle of a shower.  
"I, no I don't remember anything, I was in bed then here, with this huge headache." Anita said squinting against the pain in her head as Ajay activated D.O.C and the pain started to subside.  
"You think this is related to what happened earlier?" Wattson asked her voice small as Loba stepped back and gave Elliott a small look of warning as Ajay stood Anita up and took her back to her room. Insisting that the woman rest and get out of her wet clothes.  
"I don't know compadre but it's pretty spooky if you ask me." Octane said as he paced back and forth across the bathroom floor.  
"i think we need to look into this, although Anita could have slipped and turned the shower on as she fell. The fact that she doesn't remember anything is not unusual." Crypto said from his spot lent against the wall, and Loba turned to him, his face a picture of serenity, but there was a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. Loba knew in that moment none of them were as comfortable with all of this as they were making out.   
"You do that, take Alexander with you he might be useful, but Crypto." Loba said placing a hand on his arm bring his attention back to her.  
"Stay together." She said as Tea Joon simply nodded at her, he didn't even bother to object as he made his way down the hall to rouse the scientist.  
Loba turned to Elliot grabbing him by the elbow and pulling him into his room whilst everyone else seemed to gravitate towards the kitchen.  
"We can't say anything, not yet not until Anita either remembers something, or Crypto comes up with another explanation." Loba whispered as Elliott closed the door and lent against it.  
"Ok, but you know if this is something supernatural, something we can't see or touch, how do we fight that?" Elliott said his voice quiet almost as though if he didn't speak too loudly it wouldn't be true.  
"I don't know hansom, I really don't know."

TBC...


	2. In the plae moonlight

Chapter two- In the pale moonlight

Loba awoke with a start, it was the klaxon sounding for roll call. She felt a pressure around her waist as Elliott's arm was draped across her middle. They had been up talking most of the night, but both had succumbed to exhaustion not long before the sun came up. Now Loba felt like crap, but she knew she would have to fight, there was no choice in the matter. Loba felt Elliott snatch his hand away, obviously embarrassed that he had been holding her in his slumber. Loba said nothing, quickly standing and throwing her apologies over her shoulder before making a dash for her room.

It felt like only moments before they were all on the dropship headed towards kings canyon, the events of last night forgotten in the rush, and the stark light of day. Anita had been cleared to fight, much to Ajay's protesting. Anita still remembered nothing about what had happened to her, but she sheepishly admitted that when she was young she used to sleep walk. She said that it could have started up again, and that she could in fact have been responsible for the cupboard opening earlier that evening. Everyone seemed satisfied with her explanation, everyone that was but for Loba and Elliott. They knew it hadn't been Anita to chase Loba down the hall, and drop the tempreture in Elliott's room. Neither of them said anything however, choosing to remain silent on the subject as they reached their destination.

Loba had not been teamed with Elliott today, she was in fact with Wattson and Bloodhound, both of whom looked almost as tired as herself. Loba had been impatient today running across the canyon picking up loot quickly, willing this day to be over.  
"Buy and fly people." She shouted as she dropped her black market and her team quickly rushed over.  
"I need a extended light mag, you can't kill anything with 18 shots." Wattson said as she reached in and scanned through the items. Loba quickly grabbed the dubble tap trigger she had been looking for, and then heard boots on the wooden surface of the hut they were in.  
"Enemy here." she cried dropping her market to shouts of protest from the others, but it was too late, the other team were on them. Loba heard hound activate their ult and he attempted to flank the other team. Loba had no choice but to teleport out of one of the cracks in the hut and get herself out of a three on one situation. As she re-materialised outside she came face to face with Elliott. His surprise at her sudden appearance gave her a chance to start shooting before he even raised his gun. She downed him and stood over him as he crawled around at her feet.  
"You know it almost doesn't seem right." She said crouching down and placing her gun under his chin.  
"Then don't do it." He said with a small grin, but he knew what was coming. the blast echoed in the canyon, and Loba stood up, only a second later her match was over to, as Lifeline came from out of nowhere with a devotion and let off the entire clip. Loba didn't even fire back.

Later that evening just as the sun was going down Elliott set his dinner on the table and picked up a knife and fork. He sat heavily in his chair, and absently started forking food in to his mouth, he barely tasted it. The room was also empty, most of the Legends had retired early as none of them had gotten much sleep last night. Elliott included, but something was keeping him awake. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The food wasn't helping with that, and he pushed his plate away, his dinner only half finished.  
"Hey if your not going to eat that, would you mind." Her soft voice floated through the room, and Elliott felt better almost immediately. He looked up and connected with Loba's amber eyes as she lent her palms on the table, and looked down at him.  
"Be my guest." He said offering her his plate and she took a seat opposite him. He watched as she demolished the rest of his meal, and Elliott smiled, glad that at least Loba didn't seem to have lost her appetite after everything.  
"Sorry that made me look like a total pig, but I haven't eaten since last nights dinner, and the idea of cooking just makes me shudder." Loba said as she stood, placed the plate and cutlery in the dishwasher and got herself a glass of water. Elliott was not shocked to hear Loba had skipped her meals, he noticed she did that quite often, it worried him a bit, but he said nothing, it wasn't his place to question her eating habits.  
"Did Anita tell you she is locking herself in her room tonight, and Crypto has rigged a bell to sound if she does manage to get out. I guess we will know one way or another if something happens." Loba said sitting back down in her chair and placing her almost empty glass of water in front of her.  
"You really think it could be her?" Loba then asked her fingers tapping on the glass and drawing Elliott's attention away from the wall behind her head.  
"No, well probably not, but I guess if nothing happens tonight then it could be true." Elliott acknowledged but even Loba could tell that he didn't believe what he was saying.  
"You feel like a cup of tea?" Loba then asked breaking the tension that had arisen in the room, and she gave Elliott a small smile as he stood to, coming over to the counter to choose his preferred brew.

They sat and talked until Elliott noticed that it had gotten dark, Loba's skin seemed to glow in the pale moonlight coming from the window. No one had bothered to close the curtains tonight. Anita was already in bed, and neither Loba or Elliott had even thought about it.  
"Maybe we should think about turning in, at least the match tomorrow is scheduled for the afternoon, I can get some well deserved beauty sleep." Loba then said as she uncrossed her legs and stood up stretching, as Elliott looked up at her.  
"You don't need to be any more beautiful." He said in his head, or at least he thought he did, until Loba's eyes turned down to him in both surprise and amusement.   
"Aww aren't you sweet." She retorted as Elliott tried to hide his face behind his tea mug as he only wished the ground would swallow him up whole.  
"I didn't mean to say that, well not that it isn't true, but I mean out loud, I didn't mean to say it out loud, damm this is embarrassing." Elliott rambled as Loba just stood there and watched him, that amused smile playing at her lips.  
"Fancy helping a guy out here." Elliott then said as Loba shook her head.  
"You know I think I ma just going to let that one sit and fester for a bit." She smirked at him now, and if Elliott was a little braver, he would have said something witty and flirty back, but his heart got stuck in his throat and no words came out.  
It was at that moment the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Loba's head snapped around, her eyes scanning the room, but now the only illumination was the moonlight coming through the window. The room was more shadows than anything else.  
"Elliott?" Loba hissed, his name coming out like a question as he stood up and joined her in the center of the room.  
"I know." He said noticing that his breath was now visible in the frigid air. Loba wrapped her arms around herself, turning in ever constant circles, hoping to see what was in the room with them. She knew she wouldn't see anything, it was here, but not at the same time.  
"I think we should get out of here." Elliott whispered, feeling less than comfortable now as he felt those eyes on him again.   
"And go where, I don't think a door will keep this thing out." Loba hissed back as she felt something touch her back, it was a light contact, almost light enough for her to believed it hadn't happened at all. She glance at Elliott but his hands were firmly by his side, clenched into fists but, nowhere near her. There was then the sound of light jingling, it was the bell above Anita's door, and it sounded like whomever was opening it was well aware of the bell and was trying to make as little sound as possible.  
"Anita." They said in unison as both took to their heels and ran down the hallway. Loba skidded to a stop when she noticed that all the legends rooms were closed, nothing moved in the corridor beyond, except the bell above Anita's door, which swung back and forth slowly, its ring hitting the side lightly, so that only a small chime sounded in a metronomic rhythm.   
"You think she tried to get out, or maybe has already left?" Elliott said his voice low soft and Loba crouched down and turned to look behind her.   
"And go where she would have had to pass us. even to use the bathroom." Loba said as they sat practically opposite the door to the communal bathrooms.  
"I see your point, but it couldn't have been someone going in, Anita said she was going to lock the door." Elliott said then and Loba nodded in the darkness.  
"I'm not sure someone tried to get in at all, I think that bell was set off on purpose." Loba then said not knowing why she knew that, but just feeling like she was right.  
"Why?" Elliott then asked not questioning her logic, but seeing no reason for simply making a bell swing back and forth.  
"To draw us hear, for some reason, to distract us, I'm not sure, but i am thinking that maybe we should check on the others. I just have a bad feeling about all of this." Loba then said standing up, and making her way slowly towards Wraiths room, she had the first door on their left. It was most likely unlocked, none of the legends locked their doors, well most of the time anyway, they trusted each other not to barge in unannounced. Loba lightly tapped the door now, her knock sounding very loud in the silence of the lodge. Elliott almost winced at the sound, but realised quickly that there had been no reply.  
"You think she is asleep?" Elliott asked as Loba turned the handle and pushed open the door a crack. Light from the hallway spilled inside the room, it illuminated the bed and the sleeping figure under the comforter.  
"Renne, hey you awake?" Elliott hissed as Loba went over to the bed her feet making no sound on the plush carpet. Elliott was now getting used to Loba not wearing her heels, although it still staggered him sometimes being able to clearly see over the top of her head.  
"Hey sorry honey but just checking to see if you're ok." Loba said shaking Renne awake who looked at her bleary eyed and tried to pull the comforter up and over her head to block out the light coming in from the doorway.  
"Yeah I'm fine, now would you mind pissing off, I'm tired." She said her voice softer than her scathing words, and Loba patted the woman's shoulder before leaving the room, closing the door behind them.  
"One down." Loba said as she looked down the hallway but still saw nothing. The temperature also seemed to have risen back to normal, but Loba still felt like something wasn't right. It was obvious that Elliott felt the same as he was just as cautious and tense as she was. they made their way from room to room, finding only grumpy legends. Loba didn't mind, she would rather get tossed a few cuss words than find something she didn't even want to consider. Neither of them had mentioned the fact that they had left Anita's room until last. the bell had stopped swinging now, and everything seemed quite. Loba tried the door knob but as suspected the door was locked. She pushed against it slightly but it would not give.  
"I guess seeing as everything is locked up tight she is probably fine in there." Elliott said but he sounded even less convinced out loud than he did in his own head.  
"I think we should try to get in, I can pick that lock, I just need to go and get something." Loba stated turning from Elliott with every intention of leaving him by Anita's door. Then she felt his hand on her shoulder.  
"Mind if I tag along, it's a little creepy out here by myself." Elliott admitted as Loba just gave him a small nod and took his hand leading him down the corridor to the last room on the left. Her room, the door was closed, and for a second Loba hesitated opening it. She had no idea why the room would be as empty as when she left it, but she guessed nothing was feeling normal right now and she shook off the feeling of foreboding.  
Pushing the door open Loba peered inside, the room was bathed in pale moonlight coming through the window to her right. When she had left earlier it had been daylight so she had not bothered switching on a light. Reaching out to the side of the door Loba hit the light switch, and it came on, illuminating the room in a soft orange glow. Loba was almost surprised to find it empty, not that it shouldn't have been, but the way these past few nights had been going, she had fully suspected something to be lurking in the shadows.  
"I'll just be a second." Loba said to Elliott who had started pacing over near her wardrobe. Loba attempted to ignore his insistent pacing as she dug around in her chest of draws trying to find her lock picking kit. It had been a while since she had used it, and she wasn't even certain it was even here.  
"You know, we could just not bother, I mean the door is locked, no one could get in there, I'm sure Anita is fine." Elliott said as the light above their heads flickered. They both looked up the light was now swinging back and forth, and with a small crack and hiss it then blew out.  
"Nothing about this is fine Elliott, something is here." Loba hissed as she crouched down beside her chest of draws and looked into the darkness, her eyes not yet adjusted to the sudden lost of light.  
"Damm it who put that there." Elliott said as he stepped back and collided with the wardrobe behind him.  
"Sush." Loba hissed as she tired to listen into the darkness, there was something moving, a slow almost imperceptible sound. Then a door opened, then Elliot screamed.

"Elliott!" Loba cried as she leapt from her corner and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she spotted a figure struggling under what looked like another person. Loba didn't hesitate, she ran towards the struggling bodies, not thinking about what was currently attacking Elliott only knowing that she had to help him.  
Grabbing the unknown assailant by the shoulders and pulling as hard as she could, Loba managed to dislodge whatever was on top of Elliott. Something wasn't right, whomever this was, was not trying to fight back, Loba pulled until Elliott managed to free himself, standing quickly and helping Loba to hold the person who attacked him down.   
"You knock them out?" Loba asked as the body did not stir beneath her hands, in fact the body was so still that Loba backed off. Looking down now she could see the persons body more clearly as a shaft of moonlight illuminated most of it.  
"Elliott I think you did some real damage." Loba then said placing her hand on the persons chest and realising that she knew who this was.  
"I couldn't have done I barely touched them." Elliott then said confused as he moved slightly away and the moonlight then hit the face of the person on Loba bedroom floor.  
"Anita!" Loba screamed as she bent down getting a closer look at the eyeless face. Blood ran from the holes, and her face was distorted because of the damage around the eyes, but it was unmistakably Anita Williams.  
"Oh my God." Elliott said his hand clapping to his mouth, as the rest of the lodge seemed to wake. Probably after Loba's scream, but Elliott had made enough noise when the wardrobe had opened behind him and Anita had obviously fallen out and landed on him.  
"No no no, what happened." Loba cried her hand on Anita's chest as her door suddenly crashed open and Octane flew in. It took a few more Legends to enter, before someone decided to hit the lights. Then they all knew they all saw. Someone had killed Anita and gouged out her eyes.

"We need to let Hammond know about this, her family will need to be informed." Crypto said, trying to maintain some form of composure, but inside he was in a mild panic. There were a dozen people in this room, and one of them had to have killed Anita, there was no one else that could have gotten in. Crypto looked around trying to spot anyone who looked guilty. All he saw were faces of sadness and panic. Loba was practically white, her eyes huge and wet as she sat with Elliott on her bed. HIs arm was on her knee, and she was talking softly as Ajay covered the body and try to get everyone out of the room. Crypto left with no objection, he did not want to remain there any longer than he had to.  
"You can stay with me if you want." Elliott said quietly to Loba as she stood up and made her way towards the door. She gave him a brief nod, but did not really reply. Elliott was worried that she was going into shock. Placing his hand on the small of her back, he escorted her back to his room. Turning and closing the door behind them, he was surprised to find Loba standing directly behind him. She was so close he could see the gold fleck in her amber eyes.  
"Whatever did this is still here Elliott, its here and its obviously not friendly. We have to tell the others we have no choice. But we wait until morning, until people have calmed down." Loba said not moving back, and not looking away from Elliott's eyes. He began to feel a little uncomfortable, but he stood his ground. He knew right now Loba didn't need him falling apart right now.  
"You think they will believe us, after what happened. I have no idea what we are up against here, but its gone from opening some cupboards, and making a bell ring to murder in pretty quick succession, how much worse could it get?" Elliott said as Loba finally turned from him and sat on the end of the bed.  
"We could all end up like Anita I guess, we have to convince the others, it's the only way, if we fight together we could find out what this thing is and get rid of it, if we don't, well I have a feeling it will pick us off one by one."

TBC....


	3. inquisition

Chapter 3 Inquisition

None of the legends got much sleep that night, not just because of the hellacious events of the evening, but because the police had also shown up. They had removed Anita's body and had pulled them all aside individually. Loba suspected that these were not in fact real police, but Hammond security. Not only because none of them had uniforms on, they were all dressed in dark clothing, with long rain coats on, but because they didn't really seem interested in who killed Anita. Oh they had subtly hinted that Anita was found in her room, she and Elliott had been the only ones awake, and that Elliott was not a good alibi because he would more than likely lie for her if he had to.   
Loba frowned at them when they suggested this, but choose to say nothing, as it seemed like her interview was over. Making her way out of the living room, and back towards her own quarters, Loba stopped, she didn't want to go in there. It was daylight now, and everything felt normal and calm, well as normal as things could be after just finding your friend with her eyes torn out could be. Loba's feet wouldn't move, she looked at her closed door, and a shudder ran through her. It wasn't the same feeling as last night, there was no sense of another presence, it was just a all round bad feeling about the lodge, and specifically her room.  
"Hey you know they haven't cancelled the games for today, I can't believe it." Wraith said, her voice making Loba jump as she broke her gaze on her bedroom door.  
"Damm it Renne." Loba said holding off the urge to clutch at her chest as her heart pounded behind her breast bone.  
"Sorry, but did you hear, they are making an announcement about Anita, and we will compete as scheduled, in honor of her memory apparently." Wraith said her face growing angry as she spoke.  
"It does not surprise me, Hammond would do anything to increase their share hold price." Loba replied as she started to feel a little better now she was no longer alone.  
"Also there is something I wanted to talk to you about." Wraith then hissed, taking hold of Loba's arm and pulling her back up the hallway to her room. Loba went with her, just grateful that she didn't have to go back to her own room, but also because she was curious about what Wraith had to tell her.  
"You know when you woke me last night, why did you do that, you woke everyone actually, but what made you do it?" Wraith asked as soon as the door had clicked into it's jam. Loba wanted to look around to make sure no one was listening, but resisted the urge.  
"Because we heard Anita's bell ringing, but when we got there, we found nothing. Its not the only strange thing to be happening around here." Loba ventured as she watched Wraith sit heavily on her bed.  
"I was having the worst nightmare, I was dreaming about killing someone, they didn't have a face, just a dark figure, I smashed them on the back of the head with what I think was a hammer, but it could have been anything short and heavy. Then you woke me, I don't know it just seems too coincidental." Wraith said looking up and meeting Loba's eyes. The woman did not look surprised, in fact she looked kind of relieved.  
"I think you might be picking up on whatever is in this lodge with us, because what Elliott and I have experience over the last two nights was nothing natural." Loba then said deciding that if anyone was open to the possibility of ghost it would be Renee. Especially now, at this moment when she was so unsure about her nightmare.  
"You think there is someone else here, with us in this house?" Wraith asked then looking unsure, but at least she wasn't telling Loba that she was completely insane.  
"No not someone, something." Loba replied not wanting to come right out and say she thought they had a ghost, but Wraith seemed to get the hint.  
"Can they do this kind of thing, could something like a ghost really kill someone?" Wraith asked now seeming more interested as Loba paced the room.  
"I don't know, all I know it it's been watching us, and more precisely me. The room goes cold when it's around, and I felt it touch me. I don't know why me, but Elliott has felt it too, maybe it's just because we have been awake so we have noticed it, but whatever it is it feels bad." Loba said her voice barely above a whisper as Wraith sat in silence for a moment. Loba felt awkward just stood there, but she could do little else but wait for the void jumpers reply.  
"Ok so I guess tonight after the games, we do some research, I suggest we don't tell the others until we know what this thing is, I don't think some of them will take it well." Wraith said as Loba simply nodded at her.   
"Well I guess seeing as we are competing in Anita's memory I had better go get ready for the match. See you down there." Loba said, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Marching down the hall and straight into her room, Loba got ready for the match, only having to stop once to calm her breathing, before she headed on out the door to join her team.

The bombs dropped around Loba's head, she was trying to make a run for it, but her she was half blinded and taking some serious damage.  
"Damm it I'm hit. She cried as finally the path in front of her became clear and she skidded into the shelter of a rock.  
"I'm coming hold on." Elliott called and Loba cussed as she looked back over the rock. Not having any idea where Octane had gotten to. She would have tp have a word with him later.  
"Phoenix kit here." Elliot said dropping the kit at Loba's feet. She scooped it up, knowing that she would have to be quick about this, it wouldn't be long before the other team would find them.  
"Thanks hansom." She said starting to charge herself back up, but it was too late, the distance sound of Gibraltar's boots echoed in her ears. Dropping the phoenix kit in favour of picking her her gun and defending herself, Loba was down before she knew it. Gibraltar took up most of her field of vision as he went after Elliott.  
"Getting shot over here." He called obviously struggling against full strength Gibraltar. It was then Loba heard the sound of metal legs, and a green flash ran past her.  
"I'm going in." Octane shouted, catching Gibby by surprise and killing him in only a matter of seconds. Loba sighed, allowing her body to collapse to the floor, before Elliott was turning her over and pumping a syringe into her chest.  
"Hey Mirage to the rescue." He said as he pulled her off the floor, and Loba dusted herself off before taking cover behind the rock to gather herself.  
"Only two squads left we got this." Octane cried as he ran around the rock scouting for the last two remaining teams.  
"Where the hell were you?" Loba said as Octane returned covering her as she healed.  
"Here, there, Octane is everywhere baby." He said grinning down at her, but Loba was less than impressed. She did not however have the strength to argue with him at this moment.  
"Who's left?" Loba asked still feeling a little out of it, lack of sleep and getting shot to death did that to a person.  
"Umm Hounds team I think, and I haven't seen Caustic either." Elliot said as Loba dropped her shop and they had a good loot up after taking a beating from Gibraltar.  
"And Anita do we need to worry about any more bombs?" Loba then asked, and she noticed the others looking at her like she had gone mad.  
"Umm Loba Anita isn't here." Elliott said as Loba realised what she had done. She had forgotten, how could she forget?  
"Umm yes I, I don't know actually." Loba stuttered over her words something she never did, but right now she was having trouble simply breathing.  
"I'm bored lets go over here." Octane then suggested breaking the tension, and they headed out.

The match had ended, with Bloodhound team being the victors, and for once Loba didn't really care. It had already started to get dark when they all arrived back at the lodge, and Loba was starting to grow more and more tense the quicker the light faded.  
"You ok?" Elliott asked her as he watched her push her dinner around her plate, far more than actually eat it.  
"No I don't think I am, I think Hammond is going to cover up what really happened to Anita, I think the other legends aren't going to believe what is really going on here, and I think someone else might die tonight." Loba whispered to him, as the other legends were only in the next room. Having finished their own meals they had all moved in to the larger room to talk. Loba and Elliott had remained in the kitchen, still eating their meals, but also it was becoming more obvious that some of the other legends didn't trust them. Loba could see why. On both occasions something had happened in the lodge, it had been Loba and Elliott who had been the ones to discover it.  
"I know what you mean, I'm not exactly looking forward to tonight, but maybe we should try telling them, I mean what's the worst that could happen?" Elliott said with a small smile as Loba reached out and patted his hand.  
"Well we could get accused of murder, then placed in some kind of insane asylum for blaming it on a ghost. Other than that I say we go for it." Loba's voice was laced with humor, but Elliott could tell that she wasn't really joking.  
"Ok fine, what about tonight, do you really think something else is going to happen, and if so isn't it even more important that we warn the others, they can't fight what they don't even know about." Elliott continued, and Loba realised that the man was feeling the pressure of being one of the only people to know what was really going on around here. He needed to get this secret off his chest no matter the consequences.  
"Ok I tell you what, how about we wait, and see if anything happens, others might be awake this time to see it, or if not we can wake them. Sometimes people will only believe something, if they see it with their own eyes." Loba replied her hand reaching out to grasp hold of Elliott's and give it a small reassuring squeeze. Elliott looked down at their joined hands, and his heart gave a little flutter. He looked back up only to see Loba looking right back at him, her amber eyes almost glowing in the low light in the kitchen.  
"I had a favour to ask you actually." She said now pulling her hand away in fear that she looked like she was trying to manipulate him. She never wanted him to think she was playing him for a fool, or using him to get what she wanted. It was a strange thought for Loba who a year ago would not have thought twice about taking full advantage of Elliott's kind nature, but now things had changed.  
"Sure If I can help I'll be glad to." Elliott said trying not to sound like he had his balls caught in a vice, but his voice still squeaked out at the end. Loba gave him a rye smile before taking in a deep breath.  
"I really don't want to sleep in my room tonight, it was hard enough to go in there in the daylight, but the thought of being in their where Anita." Loba's voice cracked slightly here, and she paused, taking a deep shuddering breath. Elliott's heart also broke a little at that moment too. For different reason's. one was the lost of his friend, the other was because Loba was hurting and he could do nothing to help her.  
"I just can't do it, and I would never ask anyone to swap with me, I wouldn't want to put that on anyone else's shoulders, but If i could just maybe stay with you one more night, I can sleep on the floor, I don't want to make you uncomfortable again." Loba then said quickly as Elliott started to look around the room, his eyes avoiding hers for several seconds.  
In truth Elliott wanted Loba to stay with him, in his bed, but not for the reasons she did. Her reason was completely understandable, if one of his friends had been murdered in his room, he wouldn't want to sleep there either. Elliott's desire for her to stay was far more primal, and totally inappropriate for this particular situation.  
"No no, Look you can totally stay with me, and don't worry about sleeping on the floor, or making me uncomfortable. I wouldn't want to stay in that room either." Elliott then said deciding that right now he needed to man up and simply be a good friend.  
"Thank you." Loba smiled at him and went to pat his hand once more, before Wraith burst into the room.  
"Hey got news." She said Elliott turned his head to Loba in surprise before snapping it back to Wraith then back again to Loba.  
"I didn't really tell her she already knew something." Loba said sounding more defensive than she meant to, but it was what it was now they all knew.  
"Ok whatever, look I've been doing some research, and talking to someone I know about this. This does not sound like your ordinary ghost, if there is such a thing, or anything for that matter in fact we could just have a real murderer who is simply very clever, but that doesn't matter either." Wraith rambled and even Elliott was impressed with her ability to go off on a tangent.  
"Spit it out woman." Loba said with a small smile, but she obviously didn't have the patients for Wraith's rambling diatribe.  
"Ok well normal ghost are dead people who have yet to cross over, they can't really interact with us on a physical level, only send messages, and they are never bad. Poltergeists however are bad, people who still walk among us. They often have unfinished business and can cause physical harm whilst here. However I don't think it's that either, none of us has lost anyone who would care to bare this kind of grudge, at least I don't think so." Wraith then said looking at Loba who at least had the presents of mind not to looked shocked.  
"No I have never killed anyone, not for real anyway." Loba said feeling like she actually needed to say that out loud. Not just for the people in the room, but for herself.  
"Right, so this could be a daemon, a being not from this world but another, their only goal is to spread sorrow, they are attracted to it like a moth to a flame. But their real goal is to possess a real living body, it takes time, and a lot of energy, and they can only inhabit someone for a short amount of time, unless the victim is willing, or driven insane enough to be unable to fight it." Wraith continued looking between Loba and Elliott again and finding only worried faces.  
"Ok so how do we fight it?" Elliott then asked and Wraith shook her head.  
"I don't know yet, I am waiting for someone to get back to me, but I think not being alone would be a good idea, I don't know why but I think it has the intention to try and possess you." Wraith said pointing to Loba as the woman sat up a little straighter and ran her hand through her hair.  
"I think you might be right, but why me?" Loba then said as she felt icy tendrils creep down her spine, but it wasn't the same as before, this was just her own mind making her feel this way.  
"Who knows, but apparently once they decide they do not change their mind easily. I suggest you don't spend your nights alone, not until we sort all this out." Wraith said finally standing up and patting Loba on the shoulder.  
"I am assuming that won't be a problem." She said with a slight smirk and a look in Elliott's direction, before she walked out of the room without a glance back. The blush that rose on Loba's face was actually quite endearing. Elliott didn't know the woman could even be embarrassed.  
"You know maybe we should wait until everyone else has gone to bed before I move in." Loba said her voice still low and Elliott was kind of enjoying her discomfort.  
"Sure, but you know I don't care right, I mean they will understand." Elliott said trying to make her feel better, but he knew it would only help a little.  
"I know and I shouldn't be so silly, but I think the others suspect us as it is, and I don't want to give them any more reason to think we had something to do with Anita's death. So what do you say we go and chat with our roommates and when they have all gone to bed I will grab some stuff and camp out in your room for the night." Loba said and how could Elliott say no to that.

As it happened they did not have to wait long before everyone filtered off to bed. After all none of them had got any sleep the night before, and apart from some afternoon napping between questioning, they were all very tired. Loba had fallen asleep on the sofa and Elliott did not want to wake her. He grabbed Wraith on her way to bed and asked her to sit with Loba while he grabbed some stuff from her room. Wraith agreed deciding she could finish her tea on the sofa instead of her bed. It would save adding to the collection of dirty mugs gathering in her room.

Elliott was left staring at Loba's closed door, there was defiantly a bad feeling surrounding this room. He didn't want to go in, but he knew he had to. Taking a deep breath and going in he quickly flicked on the light and ran for the chest of draws next to the window. There was no way he was opening her wardrobe, but he suspected she wouldn't keep sleep wear in there anyway. Skirting over serval pairs of underwear, and desperately trying not too look, Elliott moved on to the next draw, and found what looked like shorts. Like the ones she had been wearing the other night. He snatched them up followed by a top, and he quickly snapped the door closed. He grabbed the long silk dressing gown off the back of the door, and then found her wash bag from the night stand and took that too. Then he headed out of the room. He could no longer stand the oppressively air inside, or the feel of Loba's silk underwear between his fingers. Elliott didn't know which was worse, but he decided to simply ignore both and head back to his room, deciding that he would put Loba's stuff in there before he went to get her from the living room. No need to let Renne know he had been touching her clothes.

"Hey you ok?" Elliott asked as Wraith head rose from where it had sipped down onto her chin.  
"Sure, just almost fell asleep. I guess Loba wasn't stimulating enough conversation." Wraith said pointing at the still sleeping woman. She looked untroubled, and more peaceful than Elliott had ever seen, it seemed a shame to wake her.  
"I think i had better head off to bed, you be ok with her?" Wraith said as Elliott looked back and forth between the women.  
"Ya no problem, think I can get her to walk a few yards, if not I guess I can just carry her." Elliott said somewhat nervously, as Wraith shook her head.  
"Watch out I don't think Loba is the likes to be carried around type." Wraith replied with a small smile before heading out the door and in to the dimly lit hallway. Elliott turned back to Loba, and sighed. Deciding that he would take a tongue lashing, he placed one arm under Loba's shoulder, the other under her knees, and lifted her off the sofa, carrying her back to his room, managing to maneuver through the doorway with his foot. He placed her on the bed, and decided that there was no way in hell he was going to change her, so she would just have to sleep, in her clothes, and if she woke up she could get changed then.

Loba woke, she was freezing, despite being covered under a blanket, she was still fully dressed and obviously in Elliott's room. It was pitch dark however, not even a sliver of light was coming through his closed curtains. Loba reached out and touched a hard warm body. It was Elliott's shoulder, he seemed to be on his side facing away from her. Loba could feel that there was something watching her, the cold in the room making her body shiver. She wanted to wake Elliott, but she needed the light more. Reaching over and flicking the switch on the lamp sitting on the bed side table. Nothing happened, she gave the switch a couple more flicks, but the room remained bathed in darkness.  
"Elliott, Elliott." she hissed now shaking his shoulder, truly scared now as something felt like it was breathing on her.  
"What, what is is, Damm it's so cold." Elliott then said as he turned over and sat up slightly. Loba could not see him in the absolute darkness, but she could feel him move, and come slightly closer to her.  
"It's here isn't it?" He hissed back as the curtains suddenly blew inwards, despite the window being closed. Loba nodded in the darkness, but realised Elliott couldn't see that and simply replied yes.  
"Should we get out of here?" Elliott asked as Loba seemed to freeze in the bed next to him. Elliott reached out, brushing her left breast with his hand before finding her shoulder and giving her a shake.  
"I think we should go, get into the light, do something." Elliott said now mild panic starting to set in as the bed began to shake. Only a little at first, but then it began to move at a rapid pace. This made Loba move she jumped out of bed, calling for Elliott to follow her as they groped around for the door. Elliott's hand found the nob first, and he threw the door open. casting a soft glow on the room, as the uprights in the hallway seemed so bright after the complete darkness of his room.  
"Now what I don't think it will matter where we go, we can't run from this thing." Loba hissed out as the hallway now seemed to become colder, and icy wind blew down the corridor and blew Loba's hair back from her face. This was not all in her head this was real, and now it was here, and watching them. There was a crash from behind them now, the sound of breaking glass, and Loba's head shot round to peer into the dark kitchen beyond.   
"God damm it." Elliott cried as he hit the main light for the hallway and it came on, casting it's bright glow around them, but the icy feeling continued. Loba walked towards the doorway the room now had a soft glow illuminating it from the hallway lights, but she could see nothing. She sound of a door opening made her jump. She span around to see Crypto looking bleary eyed but worried, obviously awoken by the crashing glass.  
"What is going on?" he said shivering as he realised just how cold it was, but now that cold was receding, the room slowly going back to it's normal temperature.  
"We don't know, but something is here Crypto, something else you have to believe us." Loba said then as the man walked past them and into the kitchen, flicking on the light and stopping mid stride.  
"What in the hell." He cried as other doors began to open, and more legends filled into the hallway. Loba and Elliott moved into the kitchen having no choice as the rest were backing up behind them, wanting to know what had happened.  
"Who on earth did this." Crypto continued as Loba saw that the glass cabernets over the sink had been smashed, their contents untouched, but the glass was all over the floor. Large sharp looking shards, and smaller pieces glinted in the light.  
"Ok you have to listen to us, there is something else here with us, in the house, something not from this world. Renne will tell you she was doing research on it today." Loba said turning to look around the room, but not seeing the void jumper anywhere. Her heart seemed to fall into her stomach at that moment. Her throat tightened up and she felt like she couldn't breath. Pushing past the crowd that had gathered in the doorway, Loba raced to Wraith door, and pushed it open without a second thought.  
She could see a figure in the bed, the light from the hallway bathing the figure in a low light. Loba paused walking slowly over to the form, suddenly and very deathly afraid of what he might find.  
"I got this." A hand suddenly landed on Loba's shoulder making her jump, but she stopped and nodded, as Crypto walked over to the bed and pulled back the duvet. Wraith was there, there was no blood, her eyes weren't missing, and she was obviously breathing.  
Crypto tried several attempts to wake her but the woman remained in the grip of sleep.  
"I think she might be in some kind of coma." Ajay then said coming over and helping Crypto as they lay Wraith on her back so Ajay could examine her further.  
"I don't see any wounds, any real reason for this, she just won't wake up." Ajay then said her voice breaking as the rest of the legends gathered around the bedside. Loba backed away not wanting to look at Wraith, even though she was still alive the void jumper had gone somewhere, and Loba suspected that somewhere was not a good place. Wraith face was not peaceful, it was twisted into a frown of sorts, but somehow worse.  
"You know something, you know what happened here." Ajay then turned on Loba, her tone and her face held an accusatory expression, and Loba couldn't help but wrap her arms around herself.  
"She told you something else is here, it came to my room, made it cold, moved the curtain's made the bed shake, probably opened the cupboards, smashed those doors, and killed Anita." Elliott then virtually shouted, baking up with Loba wanting to hold her, but standing his ground.  
"And was she in your bed when it started shaking compadre, because that would be something else, even if you think it was out of this world." Octane said he was now comforting his oldest friend as Ajay wept openly next to Wraith, somehow sensing her friends distress even in her slumber.  
"Not cool man, and you know it, yes we were together but only because this thing is after Loba for some reason." Elliott said as Crypto then stood up and the walked towards them.  
"I can think of a couple." He said giving Loba's chest a quick glance before folding his arms and looking Elliott directly in the eyes.   
"You really believe this, you really think some kind of being is here, something we can't see or touch." Crypto said his skepticism obvious as the lights flickered slightly, and then a sound came from down the hallway. It sounded like a ball bouncing.

Crypto pushed past Loba and Elliott who were standing in the doorway, parting them down the middle so he could step out into the hallway and see what was going on. He saw what looked like a roundish object bouncing along, and what looked like a long brown tail flipping end over end as it span. The object finally came to a rest at his feet. Crypto peered down at it in horror and disbelief as Ramya's head looked up at him, the lips then falling open, and a small terrifying laugh filled the room.

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I have been a bad updater, and will need to get a wiggle on if i am going to finish for Halloween, all comments welcomed, they help me to get my butt into gear also.


	4. Endless night pt1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Halloween might have been a bit ambitious but I still might do it, for now enjoy this one.

Chapter4- Endless night pt1

Loba virtually leapt back stumbling into Elliott's chest as she attempted to get away from the abomination on the floor at Crypto's feet. Elliott caught her around the waits preventing her from simply crashing to the ground. he wanted to run himself, to get away from the sight of that head. The laugh had shaken them all, Crypto seemed frozen in place, now looking down at Ramya's head which had gone silent. The eyes now staring glassily back at them, there was no real expression, only a hollow gaze and silent open lips.  
"Who ever through that must still be down here." Crypto then said side stepping the head and running down the hall. He burst into the kitchen, it was empty, the glass still littered the floor, and the curtains that had not been closed let in the moonlight, but there was no way out of this room through the windows. Crypto ran through the doorway into the living room, a small lamp remained on in the corner, but it's light only highlighted the emptiness of the room he had stepped into. There was no way out of the lodge, there were no doors, the windows only opened a crack to let in the breeze, and this was the final room of the U shaped lodge they currently called home. If any of the Legends wished to leave they had to call for transport. It was so they didn't all just go wandering off, and Crypto suspected it gave Hammond a certain amount of extra control over them. No one got out, and more importantly no one could get in. Crypto stood for a moment, listening to the silence, then mummering came form down the hallway. It was the other Legends, obviously talking, and in that moment Crypto wondered if Loba and Elliott might be right, that something else could be in here with them, something that didn't require a door to get inside.

"Man that was hell as creepy." Octane said now approaching the door and looking down at the now inanimate head.  
"Let me see." Ajay then came forward but was stopped my Octane who held on to her and pushed her back towards the bed.  
"Nothing you can do for her Che, and believe me you don't want to see that." He said taking her back towards Wattson who quickly wrapped her arm around the medic and sat her back down on the bed with Wraith.  
Loba felt like she was frozen in place, she could feel herself shaking slightly, unable to stop the contraction of her muscles. Elliott held on to her, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist as she stood there unable to stop looking at Ramya's head, sure that it was going to move or speak, or do something unnatural. What finally broke her gaze was the sound of Crypto coming back down the hall. His bare feet even sounding heavy on the hardwood floor. Loba looked up, her eyes finding Crypto's as he moved down the hall. He seemed both confused and determined at the same time.  
"We need to search the empty rooms." He said as Alexander moved across the hallway from where he had been lent and stood next to the hacker.  
"Yes we should try and find the body, it may give us a clue as to who has done this." He said and Loba shook her head, trying to move forward and finding herself held back by Elliott who bent to whisper in her ear.  
"Let them do this, they won't believe it until they see it for themselves." He said as Loba relaxed in to him, and Elliott loosened his grip until his hand dropped from her. Loba felt sad at the loss of contact but it was a odd thought given the situation, so she remained silent.  
"We will go to Miss Parekh room, and start our search there. Someone needs to go and investigate Miss Williams room as well." Caustic said as Octane stepped forward bringing Gibraltar with him, instructing Ajay and Wattson to stay with Renne incase anything changed with her.  
"We should go to my room too." Loba said her voice low, seemingly embarrassed that she had not spent the night there, and Elliott did not like this less confident, worried about what other people thought Loba. He wondered if the daemon was winning, slowly breaking her down so that he could consume her.  
No one however said anything about the fact that Loba had not spent the night in her own room, they simply went their separate ways, wanting to not only find the body, but also hoping to find a real living person they could fight and defeat. Loba knew they would ultimately be disappointed.

At the legends split up and went to their designated search areas Loba felt an icy chill down her spine. She froze turning back towards Elliott who nodded at her. He had obviously felt it too, but as soon at it had come it was gone again.  
"Ok well I guess we get this over with." Loba then said taking a deep breath and opening the door, and looking into the darkness beyond. the light from the hall only illuminating a strip of the room, but it did show that nothing at least was on her bed. Loba's hand froze before she turned the light on. Elliott then reached across her and flicked the switch. The room was suddenly lit up, revealing nothing. The room stood as empty as it had done when Elliott had left it earlier.  
"We should just take a quick look around just in case." Elliott said stepping through the doorway his eyes focused on the wardrobe, he then felt Loba's hand on his shoulder, it was a light touch, but Elliott was grateful for the support. As they stepped through the doorway, the light flickered, there was a strong wind and the door slammed shut behind them. Loba let out a small scream, the hand on Elliott's shoulder tightening into what felt like a death grip as the room was plunged into darkness. Both Legends turned for the door, Elliott's hand falling on the handle only a second before Loba's they both pulled at the handle, but the door was locked tight.  
"Shit Elliott we need to get out of here now." Loba shouted as the wind inside the room picked up, it whistled around them, causing the sound of their voices to be muffled. Elliott had to shout to get Loba to hear him, in spite of them standing right next to one another.  
"How there is no way out!" Loba's hand groped for his, taking it firmly she backed them up to the bed, crouching down behind it to get out of the worst of the wind.  
"I don't know, but this, this is not good." Loba said as the wind all of a sudden dropped, the shouts of the others now echoed through the lodge, It was obvious they had all be trapped in their respective locations. Loba thought at least they might start to believe them now. She smiled relief washing over her, it was strange to be so happy about something so grim.  
"You think it's over you think we should try the door again?" Elliott suggested as Loba stood up, her night vision affording her some sight in the darkness of her room.  
"Probably not, but it wouldn't hurt." She said taking hold of Elliott's hand once more as they made their way back to the door but found it still locked. Then a tremendous bang hit the wooden panel. Loba and Elliott jumped back, moving towards the center of the room, as another bang almost shook the door from the hinges.  
"You think it's the others trying to get us out?" Elliott whispered as they backed up until they were flush with Loba's wardrobe.  
"No." Loba then said as the cry's from the others could still be heard, coming through the walls as everyone begged for their release.

Then as soon as it had started it was over, the lights came back on, they both watched in terror as the door opened just a crack, but nothing came through. Loba swiped at something that landed on her forehead, it felt sticky and warm. she looked down at her hand, the one that was not currently grasping on to Elliott's in a death grip. There she saw what was unmistakably blood, a large smear across the back of her hand. Elliott saw in to and turned looking up and seeing the smear on her forehead and looking worried.  
"Are you hurt, you're bleeding." He said reaching up and touching her head gently, wiping at the blood but there was no wound there. Loba shook her head, as another drop of coagulated blood fell, and landed on the carpet below her. They both looked down to see a large stain of blood on the carpet below their feet. Almost in unison they both turned looking up. There on top of the wardrobe was a dark lump, the only visible thing in the dark space between the wardrobe and the celling was the bloody stump hanging over the edge of the wooden structure.   
"It's is that what I think it is?" Elliott asked his voice coming out more of a croke than an actual sentence.  
"Yes, I think we found the rest of Rampart."

Elliott didn't know what to do, he felt like he was in some kind of nightmare and he couldn't wake up. Then the sound of the door banging open snapped him out of his thoughts.  
"Hey what the hell is going on around here, we were locked in Anita's room, and there was this strong wind." Gibraltar said as Octane pushed past him and bounced up and down on the spot.  
"Something very creepy is going on here." He said as Crypto also stepped into the room.  
"We were also locked in Ramya's room, we could not get the door open, no matter what we tried." Crypto then said and the room erupted in questions, the voices blurring together until Loba couldn't understand a single sentence.  
"Shut up look." She finally shouted cutting through the din and pointing to the top of her wardrobe. The room suddenly dropped into silence as all eyes turned in the direction Loba was pointing.  
"Jeez, now that is not cool." Octane said, it was crude but accurate, and Crypto stepped forward closer to the body, and briefly examined it. He moved away quickly however, there was only so much he could take, especially after what had been happening.  
"We should move from this location." He said moving back from the door. No one objected, the room was beginning to smell bad, the coppery sent of the blood on the carpet, and not top mention Ramparts body were creating a heady mix. One Loba was trying to ignore as she stepped out of her room. Elliott was the last one to leave shutting the door behind them. He turned and crashed into Loba who had not moved from the doorway.  
"Shit sorry." Elliott said grabbing hold of Loba as she stumbled backwards with the impact.  
"It's ok, I wasn't concentrating, I was hoping that now they might believe us, now we can start to fight this thing rather than run from it." She said as the others moved off down the hall. With the obvious intention of congregating in the living room, but Loba wasn't sure she wanted to start this conversation, but she also knew it was the only conversation to be having right now, and yet she lingered here in this corridor.  
"I think given what has happen they might just have no choice but to listen to us now. Even the old man seems to be listening now." Elliott said wanting to reach out and comfort her, but not quite daring.  
"I don't think I have thanked you, for everything that you have done, but also for just believing me, I think I might have gone mad if you hadn't come to my door last night." Loba then said her hand reaching out and giving his bicep a small squeeze. Elliott felt his cheeks blaze, and he wasn't quite sure where to look.  
"For you, no problem." He said finally as Loba raise d her eyebrows slightly, a small smile gracing her lips, and in that moment Elliott felt like she wanted him to kiss her.  
"Hey you two, stop making out and get in here, you do know there is a daemon on the loose right." Octane shouted just as Elliott was getting up the courage to do something about what had been building between them over the past 48 hours. Elliott almost screamed but managed to simply clenched his fist and turned towards Octane who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  
"Coming little man." He bit out as Octane threw an insult in his direction which Elliott didn't quite catch, and right now he wasn't going to ask Octane to repeat himself.  
"Come on hansom let's get this over with." Loba said moving past him and down the hall, and through the door way to see the rest of the legends sitting around the room. All eyes seemed to turn to her at once, and Loba could do nothing but draw in a deep shuddering breath and start her story.

Loba started with the first night after they had all gone to bed, she told them about the feeling f being watched. How the room got cold, how it followed her down the hall. She told them about the bell, then about Renne's nightmare, and how she had started to research what this thing was. Loba finished with how she felt it touch her, how even now she could feel like something was here, not in the room, but close. She was not sure however if the silence that followed was a good thing, or not.  
"If this thing put Renne in a coma it is likely she was close to finding a way to destroy it. We should find out what she knew." Crypto then said as Caustic turned and looked at him.  
"I agree, I will work on a way to make this thing visible, it can obviously interact with our world, and therefore we must be able to do the same." Caustic said his voice almost wistful as he stood up and went into the kitchen.  
Loba sat heavily on the arm of the sofa, she was no longer listening to the chatter that filled the room. The weight of what was happening was no longer solely on her shoulders. Loba's eyes then drifted down to Elliott who was sat next to her on the sofa. He was not looking at her, but at Ajay on the opposite sofa, who was saying that she should stay with Renne incase she fell deeper into the coma, or something worse. Loba realised that she had never truly been alone, that perhaps she had more friends here than she ever realised.   
"So how do we find out what Renne was working on?" Octane then said as Loba tuned back into the conversation.  
"She said she was waiting for someone to get back to her, I ma assuming on the phone it's not like she was going to meet them on the balcony."Loba said suddenly feeling more like herself again, and she caught Elliott looking at her out of the corner of her eye.  
"Then I can hack her phone records, we can talk to this person, we can find out how to kill this thing, because I am not going to be ending up with my head bouncing down a hallway." Crypto said now standing and pacing the room. Loba watched him, she watched them all as they worked together. Gibraltar and Ajay going to be with Renne. Octane and Wattson on their holo padds trying to dig up information on daemons, and Crypto and Caustic working on ways to take this thing down. Loba found herself alone sitting on the sofa with Elliott. He was not looking at her again, but this time it wasn't because he was distracted, it was because he was avoiding her.  
"You know I feel kind of useless now." He said still not looking at her, as Loba nudged him over, and Elliott slipped sideways, allowing her to drop into the space beside him. She realised that up until this point he had been the only one protecting her, it probably made him feel special. Now as he had just stated he felt useless.  
"You are anything but useless, you are the reason this thing hasn't already won, and I know when it comes back you wont be hiding in a corner." Loba said her hand patting his knee as Elliott turned to her now his eyes flicking from her hand to her eyes.  
"Well no, I guess I wouldn't." He replied feeling a bit better, but it didn't stop the sense that he had lost a moment, that he had a chance and he had let it slip past him. Loba's hand lifted from his knee, her body lifted from the sofa, and she turned offering him a hand.  
"Come on, let's make ourselves useful." She said as Elliott took her hand and stood next to her. The lights flickered, the room grew colder, much colder than it had done previously. Loba could see her breath blow out like smoke in front of her before they were all plunged into darkness once more.

Loba's hand gripped Elliott's so tightly that for a second he wondered if it was in fact her still holding his hand. The room was pitch black, the moon that had once shone outside the window, had now been encapsulated by a blanket of cloud. The silence of the room allowed the pitter patter of the rain to reach Elliott's ears. If he didn't know any better he could have been alone in the room, no one spoke, no one even seemed to breath. Then an earth shattering scream punctuated the air. Loba's hand grasped even harder her other hand joining it, half way up his arm. He could see nothing in the darkness, but he could feel the fear coming off her in waves. Not just her either his own heart was pounding in his chest, his muscles trembling, as he seemed paralyzed with fear. The condition was not just limited to Elliott it seemed either, as no one had moved, no one had spoken, and the only person he knew was still with him was currently holding on to his arm in a death grip.

The screams stopped with an abruptness that was truly terrifying, the silence behind it only followed by the sound of tearing, and something wet and heavy hitting what could have been the floor, but more likely a wall. Then all that was left was the sound of heavy footfalls as something started walking down the hallway. Elliott turned now grabbing hold of Loba and pushing her down behind the sofa, landing virtually on top of her, trying to provide some cover before what ever was coming for them arrived.

TBC ....


	5. Endless night pt2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it two chapters in two days, i expect lots of kudos, just kidding enjoy, bring it on Halloween

Chapter 5 Endless night pt2

Loba had no choice but to go with Elliott, he virtually man handled her to the ground, his body half covering hers, as the foot steps got closer. Under other circumstances such a display of male dominance would have both angered her and got her a little hot under the collar. As it was however the fear was the over riding emotion, as Loba just lay face almost pressed to the carpet, listening to the step, drag step drag of the thing coming ever closer. It wasn't just walking, it was pulling something along with it. Loba could here it dragging along the floor, it sounded heavy whatever it was. Loba's mind conjured up things beyond what it could possible have found in the lodge. Like a huge sword, or a chainsaw or something else with the explicit purpose of causing them pain. Loba shuddered as the footsteps stopped, and the only sound was heavy breathing. It was coming from the direction of the doorway, one one level Loba wanted to look to see what it was that had come down the hall, to face this demon, on the other she was perfectly fine hiding under Elliott, and not looking at the face of evil.

"Renee?" It was Crypto's voice that finally broke the silence, and the sound of the void jumpers name had Loba curious. Could it be Renee who had awoken to find herself in another nightmare, this one however didn't end once you opened your eyes. She wiggled under Elliott, trying to sit up, but he shook his head, she could feel the movement against her neck as his head moved back and forth. Neither of them spoke even as they heard Crypto or maybe someone else moving around the living room now.  
"Renee what happened?" Crypto again it had been him who had moved, probably forwards towards the door. It was obvious from the tone of his voice, that now he was sure it was Wraith standing at the door way. Loba half turned, trying to wiggle out from under Elliott, she had to talk to Renee had to make sure she was ok. From the way she had walked down the hall she had sounded injured. Elliott's grip tightened around her waist, forcing her back against his chest now, his arm locked around her middle, tight unyielding. Loba stopped moving, the man either knew something she didn't or was picking the worst possible moment to make a move on her. Loba suspected the former, for she knew Elliott Witt, and she knew he wouldn't ever put anyone's life in danger, not for anything.

It was then the most unnatural voice spoke. It sounded a little like Wraith, but it was deeper, and had a robotic quality to it, not unlike Revenants.  
"Renee isn't here any more." It said slowly, and Loba shivered, it wasn't just the tone of the voice, but what it had said as she heard another small scream coming from behind them. It must have been Wattson it was too high pitched to be one of the guys, and she was the only other woman in the room.  
"You monster what have you done?" The small French woman then said, and Loba realised that Renee, or whatever was now inhabiting Renee was back lit by the light's in the hall. A low laugh fell from Renee's lips, it was too evil to low to be coming from the woman, and Wattson stepped back unable to look at what used to be her best friend. Her face contorted in a weird expression, her hand clutching what could only be Gibraltar's arm. She was holding it by the wrist, the bloody stump of the shoulder, had dragged along the floor, leaving a trail of blood behind it.  
"I have killed your friends, now I have come to kill you." The voice dripped out of Renee's mouth, but the demon was right, Renee wasn't here any longer.  
"You will find that killing us will not be as easy as you think." That was Caustic, and now he had moved forward too. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Crypto, and placing a hand on Watson's shoulder. Trying to comfort the woman who stood firm but trembling next to him.  
"I look forward to the challenge." It hissed now a small chuckle followed that made Crypto shiver. He could see Renee better now as she shifted in the doorway, the light from the hallway up lights catching her face as a huge bolt of lightning stuck outside illuminating the room for a split second. He saw that she was covered in blood, it was splattered across her chest, flecks of it adorned her face. Her arms however were coated in the stuff, it dripped from her fingers, onto the carpet below, the droplets falling silently to land on the now red stained white rug below her feet. Crypto took an unconscious step back, realising that whatever Renee now was, had ripped Gibraltar's arm off at least, and probably more with their bare hands. The thought made him hesitate, this wasn't just their friend, this was something else, something that could tare a man limb from limb.  
"What do you want from us!" Wattson then shouted as Octane took hold of her hand and tried to offer the woman some comfort. It was a joke really, Octane had no idea how he was supposed to fight this thing, but he would be dammed if he was going to back away from it either.   
"I am here to collect what is mine." It said then stepping forward, the am dragging behind it, the sound of wet meat being pulled over the threshold made them all wince.  
"Where is she?" Renee's voice now sounded horse, as her throat contracted in an unfamiliar way and caused it to start cracking around the edges.  
Loba froze from her position behind the couch, she felt Elliott's arm tighten, if that were possible, but this time she knew she had to face her demons, she could not ask the rest of the legends to do it for her, no matter how tightly Elliott held her, or how much she simply wanted to let him. She pulled away from him now, the force of her movement force Elliott to let her go, relaising that this time she meant to leave no matter how much he wanted to force her to stay. He released her, standing up beside her taking his first look at what had been talking to them from the door way. For all intense and purposes it was Renee. It had her face, it had her body, dressed in the woman's camisole top and cotton shorts that she had gone to bed in. The eyes however were hollow dark pits, the blood covering the once spotless clothes, and the low harsh voice were more than disturbing.  
"There you are." It smiled, Renee's teeth showing in the darkness, but they weren't really Renee's, they had gone a darker colour, almost brown, and had elongated into pointed fangs. A moth full of razor sharp teeth almost glinted as another flash of lightning struck, this time a loud crash of thunder sounded over head and Loba shook her head.  
"Why me?" She asked it not believing she was even talking to this thing but she had to know.  
"A long time ago your grandfather made a deal with me, all the power and wealth for his first born daughter. But he had only sons, so I waited until you came along." It said the smile now widening on its face, a smile so wide it distorted Renee's face making it look even more demonic than it already did.  
"What! no that's impossible." Loba almost shouted as she took a step forward now, her anger over riding her fear until Elliott's hand grabbed on to her arm stopping her from getting any closer to the daemon.  
"No it's not, but now I have come to collect the debt, it must be paid, or their will be consequences." It hissed now looking Loba directly in the eyes, and it made her shudder, but she did not look away.  
"Why now, I am 34 years old you could have come when I was a child, when my parents died." Loba said almost biting out the words, as the thing that was Renee shook its head its fist clenching.  
"I was not interested in a child, I needed you to grow up, but you became mentally hard, you cared for no one, nothing but objects, a single minded goal to avenge your parents death. Now, now though you are weak you have friends, your mission is almost complete, and you even have a soft spot for the monster that killed them. You are ready, and I have waited a long time." It said finally It's hand coming up to rake a small path down Renee's face drawing a small amount of blood, as the nails, Loba now realised had also grown into what amounted to talons at the end of Wraith's fingers.  
"You think I am weak, how about you try me, I will tare you apart." Loba then shouted, her voice sounding far stinger than she had thought, given the shaking of her limbs as her heart hammered in her chest.  
"You can only hurt this body, you can't hurt me." It hissed back now swinging the arm it had been carrying around and throwing it against the wall. It landed with a heavy splat as blood and sinew stuck to the wall and ran down to the carpet below where the arm now rested.  
"Its not just her now though it is, what you call a weakness is really a strength, her friends aren't just going to stand by and watch you murder them." Elliott then said moving forward and slightly in front of Loba, but not holding on to her this time. There was a time for hiding and a time for fighting, and now was no time for running.  
"Ha, you think you can stop me, you can't even see me, only what your tiny mind can imagine." It almost growled now and Elliott felt the room get colder, the lightening flashed, the thunder rumbled, and the night couldn't have been more perfect for this evil to be here. If it had been a film Elliott would have laughed at the cliché, but this was no film, this was his life, and now he watched as Renee sprang from the doorway, and ran across the wall. It was impossible, but it happened. Then it was on caustic it's strong hands around the mans neck, squeezing. For a moment no one moved, too shocked, by the speed and ferocity with which the attack had come.  
"Get off me beast." Caustic gasped out as he tried to prize the claws from around his neck but could not budge the arms. The creature obviously possessed in human strength even in Renee's tiny body. It growled pulling harder, as a crash came knocking it from its position on Caustics back.  
Octane panted holding onto the remaining chair leg, after he had smashed the rest of it over Renee's head. It had done little but knock the monster off, as it scurried up the wall again, and then pounced on top of Octane. it's claws slashing at his face. It's teeth trying to bite into his neck.  
"Quite now." Wattson said as she rubbed her hands together, placing one on the demons back and sending a shock wave through it's body. It was all Wattson could do, with the power out she had to use the last reserves in her body. She was thrown back slightly, but the demon had released Octane who was laying bloody and prone, on the carpet. He was still breathing, as Crypto came over to him, hoping to defend his friend from this thing, as it disappeared in to the darkness and he lost sight of it. Octane's face and lower arms were a bloody mess, both where the daemon had managed to claw at his face, and where he had fended off some of the blows.  
"Oh that hurt." He exclaimed as Crypto pulled him off the floor and span around trying to locate this thing. A flash of lightning revealed it, hunched in a corner, obviously more cautious after it's shock from Wattson. Crypto fell upon an idea then, there was a reason this thing kept knocking out the power, maybe electricity was the key, maybe somehow it was susceptible to it. Both as a human it was inhabiting, but also as it's true self.  
"We need power, electrical power it obviously hurts it!" He cried to no one in particular, but he knew Wattson would be most likely to come up with a solution to this problem.  
Elliott had run to the kitchen, dragging Loba behind him, they needed weapons, and the only thing they had in the house was the kitchen knives. Some were pretty sharp designed for slicing meat and he handed one to Loba. There eyes meeting across the small breakfast island.  
"We will kill Renee." She said shaking her head refusing to take the knife.  
"I am pretty sure she would rather be dead than what she is now, I know I would be." Elliott said and Loba had to admit, if she had killed her friends, and was trapped inside her own body while this demon was killing more she too would rather die. Taking the knife now they ran back to the living room, to find Crypto, Wattson, Octane and Caustic hold up behind the sofa, as the daemon paced the window. Its body lit up by the ever increasing flashes of lightning.  
"You know you will just kill your friend, but I will release her, if Loba agrees to let me take her instead." It said now Renee's voice almost gone, replaced with this hollow low rasp, another sign that the void jumper was getting weaker.   
"Not a chance, it's more likely you will kill Renee then the rest of us. we don't make deals with the devil." Elliott shouted as the thing turned to him, that toothy smile once again distorting its face.  
"Are I see." It said the smile becoming wider and the corners of Renee's mouth started to split, blood leaked from the slits in her lips as the daemon used the back of Renee's hand to wipe it away.  
"No I thought I would have more time, oh well I guess we had better move this along." It said then crouching, pouncing forward and going straight for Caustic again. This time it swung around pulling the man off his feet, turning his neck at at odd angle. The bones and muscles crunched and snapped, as he hit the floor, his neck broken in an instant, before any of them could move.  
"No Doctor!" Natalie cried as she too leapt forward her anger causing little flashes of light to dance on her skin. Elliott watched as the thing that was once Renee Blasey bounced from wall to wall only visible when the lightening stuck. It was moving fast now, but it also seemed to be falling apart, the strain on Renee's body was now showing, as blood leaked from it's eyes, and nose.  
"We have to kill it now, it's dying look." Elliott hissed to Loba who was now crouching, watching and waiting. It seemed that she had the same idea, as the daemon made a leap for Wattson who was bent over Caustic's dead body.  
Loba pounced intercepting the daemon, knocking it away from Natalie and throwing it half way across the room. it's own momentum propelling it into the wall. It turned looked at Loba and sprang away. It did not attack her, she knew why, but she wasn't going to say anything out loud.   
"You whore." It spat at her, blood and even a tooth flaying from it's mouth as Crypto came up from behind and smashed it over the head with the chair leg Octane had dropped earlier. there was a wet crunching of bone as Renee's skull cracked, the sound made Loba wince, but it did not stop the demon it span grabbing Crypto by the throat, the claws digging in and blood began to pour from the wounds. Elliott then ran, his knife raised, his body low and quick.  
"Elliott!" Loba cried as the trickster plunged the knife into Renee's neck, the blood poured down his fingers, the demons face turning to him, as it let go of Crypto, his body sagging to the floor.  
"Thank you." It was no longer the voice of the demon, but that of Renee, her eyes were back milky witness covering the pupils, a small graceful smile on her face as she sagged into Elliott's arms.  
"No, No No. he said shaking his head as Renee slumped over, her body going completely limps as Elliot went down to his knees, Renee's body still in his arm, now laying across his thighs.  
A hand fell on his shoulder, but he barely acknowledged it, the Loba was crouched down next to him. A hand reaching out and closing Renee's eyes, then the hand moved to his face, cupping his cheek. He lent into the warm touch needing it more than ever as the lights flickered back on to reveal the carnage of the room.  
"Come on lets put her somewhere more comfortable." Loba said pulling on Elliott's arm to get him to stand. At first he didn't move, then as Crypto walked over holding on to his bloody neck Elliott's eyes looked up.  
"Thank you." Crypto said, now bending down and lifting Renee's body from Elliott's embrace.   
"We must find out what happened to the others, then we must plan for this things next attack, it is not over yet, not by a long shot." Crypto then said, as he carried Renee off down the hall, followed by Octane and Wattson, leaving Loba and Elliott alone in the living room. Both avoiding looking at Caustic who still lay dead on the floor.  
Elliott then stood up, taking Loba's offered hand and moving over to the sofa. He virtually collapsed into, emotionally and physically drained. Loba watched, half an eye on the room, unable to shake the feeling that it was still here. She reasoned that it probably was, but had receded, weakened by their attacks. Crypto had been right though this wasn't over it would keep coming for her, until it had her, or they destroyed it.  
"You know you can't give in to this thing right, if it gets you it will destroy many lives, kill whomever it chooses." Elliott said now bringing Loba's attention back to him and she nodded.  
"I know, and I won't I'll kill myself before I let that happen." She said and Elliott's eyes shot up to hers, the horror on his face evident as he sat up and grabbed for her hand.  
"It won't come to that, no way." He said with a conviction that almost had her believing him. A moment passed between them then, something far deeper than simple attraction and Loba was caught for a second in his gaze before Crypto's voice broke the moment.  
"You two need to come and see this." He said his voice grave, as Loba looked up and saw that the man had now bandaged his bloody neck, but seemed none the worse for wear. she nodded at him curtly as Elliott let go of her hand and stood up, following the hacker down the hall and into Renee's room.

It looked like a slaughter house, while Ajay was whole, her throat sliced open, and probably the reason the scream had ended so abruptly eelier. Gibraltar was all over the floor, and the walls. His body virtually unrecognizable as chunks of it stuck to surfaces, and cast the room in a red hew as blood covered the light above them.  
"Jeez, I don't think we should stay in here, I think we should put Alexander in here to and close the door. There is nothing we can do for them until morning now anyway." Elliott said turning from the mess and having to hold in his desire to throw up. He glanced at Loba who had gone deathly pale but was still looking at the carnage. Her eyes finally falling on Octane who was crying softly over Ajay body.  
"I am so sorry." She said her voice breaking slightly, as Octane's wet scratched up face turned to her.  
"Not your fault Chica, but If your grandfather was alive I would be having more than words. For now I will settle for just killing this thing." He said now laying Ajay body next to Renee's on the bed and standing up. His curt nod at Loba was enough for her to feel at least a little better about the situation.   
they all left the room, Elliott and Crypto returning with Alexanders body briefly before joining the remaining legends back in the living room. They were only five now, Loba looked around wishing for the first time that Revenant was here, at least he would have been useful in this situation, even though he probably would have enjoyed her distress far too much. But he and Pathfinder were on Solace for much needed maintenance, and Hound was off on one of their nature trips they enjoyed taking when they had down time. The group was small the body count was far too high, and this had to end tonight, one way or another.

"Look we have gone over this a thousand times, if the daemon knocks out the power, which it has done every time, we have no way of producing enough electricity to do serious damage." Elliott said he was now getting frustrated going over and over the same plan that just wasn't going to work.  
"Then we have to get into the emergency power supply, I think the wires run through the roof, how we get up there I do not know." Wattson then suggested, at least it was something new, and something they could work on.  
"You think you could get hack up there?" Elliott asked Crypto as the man rubbed at his now sore neck, and then shook his head.   
"Unlikely I would need to get him outside to access the roof panel, He will not fit through the gaps in the windows they are too small." He said and Elliott slumped down in his chair.  
"Is there no access from inside, like a hatch?" Loba then asked as she lent forward hands on her thighs as Octane looked around.  
"I will go check, I'll just be a moment." He said before a hand clamped down on his shoulder and Elliott forced him to stop.  
"Not alone you're not, I'm coming with you, and no running off ahead, I think being alone right now is not the best idea." He said feeling suddenly brave, but also needing to move, to do something other than just sit waiting.  
"Fine compadre, but keep up yeah." Octane said as Elliott shoved him out of the door moving into the kitchen. Loba heard them moving around, obviously checking for hatches or doors that might lead to the roof. She desperately wanted to go with them, but she forced herself to remain seated. The knife she had gotten from the kitchen earlier sat by her side glinting in the light from the lamp above her. She looked at it now, wondering how it would feel to have to slit her own throat, she knew if it came down to it she would do it. She had seen the look on Renee's face when Elliott had ended it all for her. She was grateful her nightmare was over, and she had only been taken over for a short time. Loba could not imagine living the rest of her life imprisoned in her own mind whilst the daemon killed and caused unknown misery.

Loba was ripped from her thoughts as Elliott burst back into the room, his breath coming in short harsh pants.  
"Damm Octane I've lost him, but we might have found a way into the roof, a small hatch in the bathroom goes up there. He went up to open it, then I was asking him what he could see, he said he was going to take a quick look, the poof gone. I think you should come, I don't know but I have a very bad feeling about this." Elliott said as the rest of the legends scrambled up and followed him out of the door and into the bathroom. The room was well it, and it was now obvious as the hatch was open where the roof access was.  
"Hold on I will send hack in first." Crypto said a hand on Elliott's shoulder as the man started to climb the retractable ladder. Elliott nodded at him and back off as Crypto called up the drone and sent it up into the darkness that was the roof space.  
"What can you see?" Loba asked now fearing the worst as Octane had not made a single noise since they had arrived. If he was up there, he would have at least responded to their calling him, even if he was running around like a mad man.  
"Nothing, just cladding, a water tank, lot's of beams. I have however found the main fuse box for the building, including the emergency back up system, I should be able to hack into its power sauce and even if the demon cuts the power again, we should have enough stored up to end it." Crypto said a smile on his face which fell quickly as he went around the back of the generator. There slumped in the corner, his head turned almost in the completely opposite direction to his body lay Octane. Crypto jumped back from his view and blinked at the others. I found him." Was all he needed to say, the look on his face and the shake of his head was enough to let the others know Octane would not be coming back.  
"No, how it was so fast, we must destroy this creature now, please would you tap me into the power Crypto and I will begin to make a weapon to take this thing down." Natalie said her voice as harsh as Loba had ever heard it. Usually the woman was so softly spoken, but now her rage was evident. Loba couldn't blame her. Crypto followed her half an eye on where he was going, half on hack. Loba and Elliott came last making their way back down the hall way and back to the living room. Just as they passed Elliott's room he grabbed Loba softly by the arm and stopped her.  
"I need to talk to you." He whispered, opening his door and pulling her inside. She didn't really resist him, but she did take a quick glance to see if their exit had been noticed. It seemed not as the other two had already disappeared through the kitchen.  
"What is it did you see something, feel something." Loba asked him as Elliott flicked on the light, closed the door and ran his hand nervously though his hair.  
"No it's not that, it's something else, something I need to say as the likely hood of my dying tonight is getting higher by the minute." His eyes would not look at her, his nervous fidgeting made Loba want to reach out and stop him but she remained still her back to the door as he paced in front of her.  
"Here we go, I like you ok, I like you more than just friends, and not just in the lust your very hot way." His blush rose on his face now and Loba found it very endearing. His admission was not exactly news to her, she had felt it for a long time, well before any of this had started. She was a master at reading people, and Elliott was no mystery, she had never expected him to say something though, thought he was just too shy. She guessed she was wrong.  
"I know." She replied as Elliott's eyes then shot to hers and then quickly looked away.  
"You know, so, I mean does that, what am I trying to say if you knew all this time, you said nothing, I guess that means you don't feel the same way." He said his eyes now down cast as Loba stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his chin. Lifting his face to meet her own, until he finally met her eyes.  
"I didn't say that." she said with a small smile as Elliott seemed to gain confidence at her words, he stood up straighter, his eyes now searching hers, and finding nothing to deter him from stepping forward, his hands going to her upper arms and holding her gently.  
"Then incase I don't get another chance." He said leaning down and placing his lips softly over hers. Loba let herself have this moment, allowed him to kiss her, Letting the thoughts of this seemingly endless night wash away from just a moment. Before Elliott's grip tightened almost painfully on her arms. His kiss deepened, becoming almost brutal, and a leg came forward wedging in-between her own, forcing her to widen her stance. Loba pulled back then, this was all a little soon and a little rough.  
"Hey calm down, I might not object to a little rough, but maybe now isn't the time." She said playfully as she looked up into Elliott's eyes, which were now almost completely black, his face distorted as it was so close, but there was something wrong with his eyes.  
"No beautiful, now is exactly the right time." He hissed and Loba felt claw tipped fingers dig in to her upper arms, and the leg that was between her own slam her back into the wall behind her. Her body hit with a thud the air being forced from her lungs, and her moth dropping open at the impact. She looked up again only to see not Elliott but something else, something she had not even imagined in her darkest nightmares, for just a moment she saw it, it's real face and she almost went mad at the sight.

TBC....


	6. Electricity

Chapter 6- Electricity

Elliott, or at least the thing that was currently inhabiting his body, pushed her hard into the door, her back slammed hard for a second time and Loba felt her head spin, her breath knocked from her once more. The things hands now pinning her arms either side of her body, and using Elliott's body weight to keep her tight against the wooden door.  
"You know I have never been a man before, interesting sensation." It said it's voice that deep hiss once more. It had given up the pretense of pretending to be Elliott, and Loba couldn't help the shiver than ran down her spine.   
"Get your claws off me, and let Elliott go." Loba shouted at it, hoping to gain the attention of the other legends in the house, but the thing just opened its mouth and let out a sinister laugh at her.  
"No no no, you don't give me demands, Now I will let Elliott go, and you too, but you have to agree to honor the deal your Grandfather made. You are mine, that or you will live to regret it." The daemon said and Loba looked at it, searching for Elliott, trying to see if he was still in there somewhere. The daemon had control now however and she could see no hint of her friend.  
"You wont hurt me, you don't want to damage the goods so to speak." Loba sneered at him, as Elliott's eyes raked down her form.   
"Your are right, be a shame to ruin you, This one is rather fond as well." The thing that was currently Elliott Witt said as it's eyes found hers after scanning her form once more, and then pressing it's self up against her. Loba's eyes grew wide, she had no idea the Daemon could tap into it's victims thoughts.  
"Oh yes I can feel everything if I want to, we can work together, it doesn't have to be a bad thing." It said it's voice now softer, almost Elliott's own voice, but it wasn't quite right.  
"I have no desire to kill people for the rest of my life." Loba replied, her voiced raised once more, and she couldn't understand why the others had not come to find them yet.  
"It's not just about killing, and if you worked with me, who knows maybe I will be happy just taking peoples prized possessions." Again it's voice was soft, speaking with Elliott's tone, but Loba decided she knew what was wrong, the words falling from this things lips were lies. She had never heard Elliott lie, and that was why sounded so strange.  
"You're lying, and you're nothing but evil, and there is no chance in hell I am agreeing to let you have me. And if you can read Elliott's thoughts you will know I am telling the truth." Loba hissed at it now attempting to wiggle free from the grip of this thing, but it was too strong, it's body too close, affording her no leverage to escape.  
"Maybe I can't hurt you, but I can hurt this body, the longer i am inside it, the more it will break down. I can also hurt the others, kill them slowly one by one, and I know you care about them. Elliott does not like this idea either, as I am sure you do not." It said now, it's hands that were pinning her arms to the door, now releasing, and running down her sides. It seemed to marvel in the feeling of her. Loba guessed that was Elliott's influence, maybe he was trying to distract this thing, trying to give her an opportunity to get away.  
"You know, I have always preferred inhabiting women, I find them much easier to accomplish my goals with. Humans naturally trust them more, and a woman can manipulate situations far more easily. Now I know why, you are very distracting, especially to this one." it said now allowing it's hands to wonder round and run across Loba's chest. She staved off the shudder, now understanding what Elliott was trying to do. She was sure it was him, fighting in the only way it could from somewhere deep inside himself.  
"You know there is something you would not have experienced, since you haven't ever been a man." Loba then said letting her now free hand wonder down to Elliott's crotch, rubbing him through his shorts. the Daemon looked down at its own body seemingly marveled by what was happening.  
"Yes" It hissed, it's hips naturally grinding against her hand, as Loba held off the small smile that threatened to appear on her lips.  
"How sensitive this particular area is." She said pulling back her hand and bring up her knee simultaneously. Her knee landed smack on Elliott's crotch, sending the daemon flying backwards, landing on the floor, hands cupping the wounded area. Loba did not wait for a second. She turned pulled open the door and raced into the hallway. She wanted to get to the living room, back to the others, but she didn't know if she would make it that far. Or bring this thing down on her friends heads. Ducking into the next room, and closing the door quietly Loba ran for the wardrobe, and stopped. This was pointless, there was nothing to stop this thing getting in. She had seen how strong it was, a simple wooden door was not going to stop it. She looked around the room, It was Ajay's, her drum sticks were laid on the chest of draws, and several of her hair bows were sat in a bowl on the bedside table. Loba felt momentary sadness, the medic was gone, and would never pick up those drumsticks again, or tie her hair in to twin bunches.   
Loba was dragged from her thoughts by the sound of footfalls coming down the hallway. Loba did the only thing she could think of. Flattening herself against the floor, she pulled herself under Ajay's bed. It was a pretty tight squeeze, but she managed to wiggle herself so she wouldn't be visible. Holding her breath Loba then felt a hard metal object. It felt cylindrical, solid, and seemed to have buttons on the side. It was then she realised that she had found D.O.C. Loba smiled, her fingers closing around the drone and pulling it tight against her body. She couldn't see much in the darkness under the bed, but she could see well enough to activate the medical device.   
The door flew open, its heavy wooden panel slamming against the wall behind it. Loba guessed it was a tactic, making sure no one was lurking behind the door, ready to jump out at it. Loba was also sure it got that information from Elliott. It at least meant he was still in there, and had not faded into his own mind just yet.  
Loba watched Elliott's feet move around the bed, slow steps, silent movement, deliberate strides. It probably knew she was here. Perhaps it could sense her somehow, Loba wasn't sure but she knew she would only have one shot at this. As the feet came closer, Loba tensed her muscles her arm backing up like a coiled snake. She waited, the feet came closer, closer, and then stopped and a voice whispered out.  
"Come out come out where ever you are." It said which made Loba shiver but she did not stop her hand from shooting out and grabbing hold of Elliott's ankle. She held on in a death grip, her nails drawing blood from the thin skin around Elliott's ankle bone.  
"Fuck." It called out surprised by the sudden pain, and grab of it's own leg. It gave Loba the chance to Jam D.O.C.S wire into Elliott's foot, activating the full charge the bot could give. An ear-piercing scream erupted from Elliott's mouth. Loba dared not look, dared not let go until D.O.C had fully discharged. A thud followed the scream, as Elliott's body hit the carpet, now his face was turned to her their eyes level, but his were closed. Loba scurried backwards out from under the bed, and leapt over it to grab hold of Elliott's seemingly lifeless body.  
Loba placed her fingers at Elliott's neck, she felt nothing, no pulse. She lent forward and held her cheek over his mouth, hoping to feel breath on her face, but again all she felt was nothing.  
"Elliott, no, please come on." Loba said then pulling D.O.C out from under the bed and reprogramming it to revive Elliott this time. She had no idea if she would be bringing back her friend or the daemon, but she had to risk it. She couldn't just let Elliott die.  
She activated the bot and all of a sudden Elliott took in a deep breath, his body arching up slightly and then collapsing back down, his hand going to his head. "Damn that was close." He said his voice gruff but defiantly his own. Loba pulled him off the floor into a fierce hug her arms holding on to his shoulders, in an almost painful grip.  
"Hey as lovely as this is, I kind of can't breath." Elliott chuckled nervously as his face was pushed into Loba's cleavage, and the tightness of her hug restricting his breathing.  
"God sorry." she said relaxing her grip and letting Elliott move away from her slightly as he sat looking at her. A blush high on his cheeks, his eyes shifting nervously from her face and then to the floor.  
"Umm it's fine, I guess you did save my life. Damm but that was horrible, that thing Loba it's bad, I mean really bad, the things it wanted to do." Elliott shivered as Loba stood up and offered him a hand off the floor.  
"I think I can guess, and I am sorry for everything." Loba then said, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder as Elliott finally met her eyes. Loba looked right back at him, searching his brown orbs, and finding only Elliott's eyes looking right back at her.  
"For what?" He asked his voice cracking slightly under her scrutiny, but he managed to continue looking at her.  
"For everything, for kneeing you in the crotch, for electrocuting you, for nearly killing you." She said her apology genuine, as Elliott could only smile at her. His hand reaching out for her face and then dropping away.  
"It's really no problem, I guess I'm sorry too, for the groping, and things, it's just when your in there, you feel like a prisoner, but you can here it inside your head you know, and I realised that if I concentrated hard enough I could at least distract it. I guess the stronger the emotion the more effect I seemed to have on it." Elliott's face was now completely crimson, from the almost admission of his desire. Loba chose to say nothing, just smile at him and nod her head.  
"Well now we know how to at least get it out of us, if it manages to take one of us over again." Loba then said dropping her hand from Elliott and picking up D.O.C. The bot was now clutched under one arm, Loba went towards the door. It was only now that she realised that the others still had not come to find them. They had made a lot of noise, and yet no one had come to investigate. The thought made Loba's skin crawl, as she opened the door slowly. Poking only her head out, and feeling Elliott move round so he to could get a look down the hallway. All the lights were still on, the room was a normal temperature. Neither of them however believed this thing was gone, but perhaps Loba had hurt it, hurt it enough at least for it to have backed off to wherever it came from, at least for now.

Walking into the living room it was now obvious why Crypto and Wattson had not heard the commotion from earlier. They were both sat with head phones on talking into Crypto's computer. Elliott felt like it had just had the shit kicked out of him, both emotional and physical, and decided to simply collapse on the sofa. He watched as Loba made her way over to the others, quickly assessing the situation, and looking at whatever was on the screen. Elliott shivered he couldn't stop thinking about the things that daemon had wanted to do to her. They were awful things terrible, but on some level Elliott had been excited by them, it made him sick to even think that. He turned his face away, unable to look at his friends now. 

"Hey where have you been?" Crypto asked finally finishing with his call and removing the headphones. Wattson did the same and looked between Elliott and Loba. It was quite clear that whatever had happened it wasn't a good thing.  
"The daemon took over Elliott, but I managed to get it out of him with this." Loba said holding up D.O.C and Wattson stood taking the drone with her.  
"An electrical charge no doubt, very clever." She said approving of Loba's ingenuity. Loba gave her a soft if brief smile.  
"It wasn't as simple as you may think, also that thing inside my head, not good either." Elliott then said still sitting on the sofa and looking at the ceiling. Crypto came over and sat down next to him, he regarded Elliott with a firm stare for what felt like forever, before Loba spoke up and broke the gaze.  
"Elliott was dead, I mean really dead, his heart had stopped and everything, I think that's why it left in the end." Crypto looked across at her, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar.  
"Well let's hope we don't have to all die to finally be rid of this thing. We were talking to the man who had been helping Renee. He is a demonologist, he specializes in things from beyond this world. We didn't want anything listening in so we went onto the headsets. I guess it was nearly a very costly mistake." Crypto said with an apologetic look on his face.  
"It's ok, but what did he say?" Loba said wanting to move past her almost killing her friend and onto how they could finally get rid of this thing.  
"Well he says it's defiantly one of the upper level daemons, only they can inhabit human's while they are still inside the body. Also they are the only beings able to make a Faustian deal, like the one your Grandfather made. They are written on an indestructible parchment, and signed with blood, they are forever binding, and if not for filled by one family member then another will take it's place." Crypto paused here, looking over at Wattson who was all but hiding behind the breakfast bar which separated the open plan kitchen from the living room.  
"Tell me, I need to know." Loba then said her eyes flicking from person to person, then coming to rest back on Crypto.  
"Well the daemon can basically haunt you for the rest of your life, it will be able to track you wherever you go, including if you move planet, the space between the realms is different than space we understand you see. It can go where you are, no matter where you are. It will kill your friends, destroy any future family you plan on having, until the deal is settled."  
Loba remained silent for a moment, she really didn't know what to say, it was looking more and more obvious that the only solution was to end it all. She had no living family, the only friends she had now sat in this room. This deal would end with her, she could at least save the last people she cared about.  
"Don't you even think it." Elliott then said seeing Loba's face turn dark, and her eyes went far away, glassy, almost wet with tears as she finally looked at him.  
"It's the only way to end all of this, unless this guy knows something, some way we can get rid of the thing." Loba asked then a small glimmer of hope in her eye before she saw Crypto's face.  
"They only way is to destroy the original deal, to get the paper and rip it up. They only way to do that is to enter the daemon's world, and have a special knife called a Dacarian, it is the knife that would have been used to spill the blood it was written in. We have no way of getting to the other side, no way of getting hold of this knife, and sorry but no way of knowing where the document is." Crypto then said his head hung low on his shoulders and he dared not look up. He had practically just given Loba a death sentence.  
"I refuse to believe that." Loba's head snapped round then as Wattson moved round from the breakfast bar and came to stand in the middle of the room.  
"Anything is possible with a little spark." She said with a small smile as Loba looked up at her and noticed that her face had become more animated, it was obvious the woman had an idea and Loba was willing to try anything right about now.

Wattson had started work on what looked like a giant metal ball. Loba had tried to ask what she was building, but most of it went over her head. Loba's specialty was not electrical engineering. Neither was Elliott's, and he was still sat on the sofa looking less than happy, as Crypto helped Wattson build this contraption. Loba went over and sat next to Elliott, she waited for him to say something, but he remained silent next to her.  
"Hey you know I could use a stiff drink, want to come join me." Loba then said deciding that whatever was on Elliott's mind it couldn't be worse than this silence. Elliott looked at her offering her a small smile, and he stood up offering her his hand, and he helped her off the sofa. There was a moment when their eyes locked, and Loba saw the turmoil in his eyes. Then Elliott looked away, and started walking off towards the kitchen.  
"So what did you have in mind?" He then asked her, and Loba had to think about what he was talking about before she realised that he was asking her what drink she wanted.  
"How about a whiskey, and some truth." She said coming round into the kitchen, it wasn't exactly private, but there was a small wall and a bar separating them from the others. Plus they were so engrossed in what they were doing, Loba doubted they would notice if she and Elliott had sex on the kitchen counter.  
"What do you mean?" Elliott asked trying to sound innocent as he placed two glasses on the counter, and pour a healthy slug of bourbon into both.  
"I mean something is bothering you, and not just my imminent demise." Loba said trying to make light of her situation, but both of them knew it was more than serious.  
"It's nothing really, nothing you need to know, I mean it doesn't concern you really, well kind of, but more me." Elliott stopped himself rambling by drinking the entire shot of bourbon in one go. Placing the glass heavily back on the counter he then dared look up and met Loba's amber gaze.  
"It's ok to tell me you know, you had a daemon inside your head it's bound to have mess with you." Loba then said moving to pick up her own glass and taking a small sip.  
"Even I don't think I am ok with this, the things that, that creature was thinking about you it was horrifying, but." Elliott stopped here and poured himself another glass of bourbon. He needed it to say this, he probably needed the whole bottle. Loba looked at him, she remained silent, willing him to continue.  
"I can't help thinking how much of it, was taken from my own mind, how much influence I was having on what it was thinking. Not that I would ever do those things to you, but." He stopped again and this time the silence hung in the air.  
"You would like to do some things with me." Loba finished for him, knowing that he would not say it, not now, and maybe he was right to keep it to himself, this was not exactly the time. However she could see that it was eating at him, and she knew from experience bottling things up did no one any good. Elliott's slight nod was enough for her, and she said no more on the subject, draining her drink and placing the empty glass on the table. She was shocked when Elliott spoke.  
"When we get this thing, however the two in their plan on doing it, do you think you might, I mean no pressure or anything, but maybe would like to go for a drink with me, or something." His voice was quiet, and his eyes never managed to stay on hers for more than a moment, so Loba reached out and took his hand. Elliott froze his eyes going to their joined hands, then up to her eyes.  
"I think I might like that." She said as she watched Elliott's smile grow wider and his thumb started caressing the back of her hand. It was a sweet moment in a time where their world knew nothing but darkness. The rain had finally slowed to a mere drizzle outside, and the storm had defiantly subsided now. There was however enough electricity in their touch to make them both look up at the same time.  
"You know we shouldn't." Loba then said as Elliott nodded in agreement but continued to rub her hand, his thumb now caressing the inside of her wrist.  
"Yeah I know, but all I keep thinking about is the others, the ones who don't have any more chances. Maybe it's about getting a moment and just taking it, before someone takes it from you." It was probably the most prophetic thing Elliott had ever said, and right at this moment he was proud of himself, as Loba looked back down to their hands and then up to his eyes.  
"If it comes back, we wouldn't stand a chance." Loba said but she had already stood up straighter, and moved around the side of the counter so they were stood with no barrier between them now.   
"Yep, but according to pinky and the brain in there we don't have much of a chance as it is, plus I really think you hurt it, when it left me I could tell it was in pain. Then well nothing because I guess I was dead, but you gave it something to think about, that maybe it's not so immoral." Elliott said as Loba stepped closer to him, his heart pounded in his chest, and he felt a sweat break out on his palms. It was all he could do not to simply grab her and take her on the kitchen counter. Elliott also knew Loba could tell exactly what he was thinking when her eyebrow arched up high and a rye little smile appeared on her face. Then she lent up on her tip toes and placed her lips next to his ear.  
"Make me feel alive again Elliott, even just for a moment, I'm sick of only ever seeing death." she pulled back from him, and took his hand. He didn't need any more asking as he quickly moved out of the kitchen pulling Loba behind him. He took only a single glance back at the two in the living room, but their departure had gone unnoticed by them. Elliott pulled Loba into his room, closing the door, and as soon as it shut he had her pushed hard against it. His hands holding on to her waist as his lips found hers in a searing kiss.   
Loba kissed Elliott back, her hands wrapping around his neck, and her body arching against his craving the contact. This was life, she could feel his heart beating against her breasts, feel his pulse thudding against her lips as she kissed the underside of his jaw. Life was about feeling the moment, not hiding from it thinking there would always be time. She should know better than anyone that time was fleeting, as were moments, and as Elliott grew bolder, his hands now cupping her backside, and pushing her hips into his own Loba let out a small moan and found his lips once more....  
TBC.... sorry that's really leaving you hanging, but I promise to be quick with the update, well not a week maybe a day or two. All thoughts send them my way thanks for reading. XxX


	7. The seven deadly sins

Chapter 7- 7 deadly sins

SLOTH-  
Crypto sat back his eyes were going funny and his hands hurt, he had had enough of this. What Wattson was proposing was tenuous at best, foolhardy at worst, and Loba and Elliott seem to have disappeared again.  
"Hey why should we do all the work when those two are off doing god knows what." He said putting down his tools and leaning back in his chair. Natalie turned to him and let out a long sigh. She was tired too, none of them had been to sleep, not to mention all the killing and running, and crying.  
"I know, but they would be of little use to us here, they are probably finding there own means of fighting this thing." She replied trying to ignore the closed eyes of her friend, and get back to work.  
"More like their making out in a cupboard, lucky son of a bitch. I'm stuck here making my fingers bleed to sort out a problem that isn't even mine." Crypto said his voice low and almost slurred like he was drunk. Natalie stopped what she was doing again, and this time she looked at him placing a hand on his shoulder.  
"I know you don't mean that, Loba is our friend, and if you hadn't noticed it is our problem, if this thing gets hold of Loba you think it will let us go. Not a chance mon ami, so how about we get this done and end it once and for all." Natalie said but Crypto only managed to crack open one eye to look at her.  
"How about we take a break and get a drink, I could use one right now." He said getting up not waiting for an answer and moving over to the kitchen where he found two glasses and a bottle of bourbon already out on the counter. He eyed the glasses with curiosity, shrugged his shoulders and took a swig straight from the bottle. The liquid burned all the way down to his stomach, and Crypto quickly took another drink, intending on doing nothing else until everyone was here, working on this problem.  
Just as he was about to put the bottle to his lips once more, it was snatched from his hand and Natalie banged it down on the counter and grabbed hold of Crypto's chin.  
"What do you think you're doing, this is not like you Crypto." She said as the hacker looked between her and the bottle and he let his head hang.  
"I guess I am just tired, not just because I haven't slept I am tired of loosing people, of loosing my friends." He said now leaning against the counter and feeling a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  
"Then let's fight, not drink until we can not see straight, and if Elliott and Loba aren't back soon we will go and find them and drag them back here kicking and screaming if we have to." Natalie replied offering Crypto a small smile, and he gave her one back in return.

LUST-  
Elliott took hold of Loba by the backside and lifted her up the wall, making her legs wrap around his waist, bringing their lower bodies so close together he could feel her heat ever through their clothes. He groaned into her neck as he rained kisses along her jaw line. Her returning moan only made him ever harder than he already was.   
Loba was now pulling his shirt from his shoulders, Elliott had to wiggle them a bit so he could get it off without dropping her. Now he had her where he wanted he wasn't about to let go any time soon. His shirt gone, he now pulled back a little to get a look at Loba's corset, realising that getting it off would be more difficult than he first thought.  
"Zipper." She said and for a second Elliott was perplexed, before he realsied what she meant. He reached forward locating the small delicate zip under a small flap in the corsets lining. Pulling it down he watched as inch after inch of bare skin was revealed until the corset was forgotten at his feet. Loba's bare chest heaved in and out as she panted for her obvious desire.  
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are." Elliott said as he looked at her, a rye smile appeared on her face.  
"Some." She replied before Elliott lips latched around her nipple causing her to gasp and grind herself down on to him. Elliott pressed himself against her, getting as close as he could, but it wasn't close enough. He reached down between them and pushed his hand under the waistband of her trousers. Loba grunted as Elliott's finger connected with her sex. Her hips bucking into his hand as he rubbed her slowly, building the pressure low in her stomach.   
Elliott's lips pressed into hers again swallowing her moans as her kiss became open mouthed and slack as her body bucked against his hand. At this angle however he couldn't move his hand much, and he knew she would need more to push her over the edge. Then she pulled away from him leaning back against the door and taking hold of his wrist.  
"As lovely as this is hansom enough with the teasing, how about you just fuck me." For a moment Elliott was taken back by Loba's potty mouth, he just didn't expect such language to fall from such pretty lips. Then he latched onto what she had said, he groaned at the thought quickly turning them around and heading for the bed. Loba clung onto his neck, her lips pressing light kisses to his skin as he slowly deposited her on to the mattress. She scooted backwards slightly, so her head was resting on the pillows. Her eyes looked up at him hooded and wonton, and there was no way Elliott was going to disappoint her. He moved onto the bed pressing himself on top of her but keeping most of his weight on his forearms.   
Loba's hands went for his buckle, undoing it easily and pushing his pants down as far as she could reach. Elliott did the rest, kicking off his trousers and underwear so he was now bare in front of her. He watched as her eyes roamed his form, a small smile on her lips as her hand wrapped around him. Elliott stiffened and groaned into her chest as his hands stilled on her hips. For a moment frozen in place, trying not to come all over her hand.  
"Loba, hang on." He said pulling back and withdrawing from her soft touch. He then went to work ridding her of her final pieces of clothing, and taking a moment to look at her before her arms wrapped around his neck once more and she pulled him on top of her. His body sliding between her thighs, and his bare sex now meeting hers for the first time. They both groaned in unison as he slid into her wet heat. Right at this moment Elliott wouldn't have noticed if the daemon was standing in the doorway threatening to tare them apart with it's bare hands. She was all that mattered to him, how her face contorted as her body bucked against his, about her fingernails raking hot trails down his back, and how her soft thighs embraced his hips as her legs moved around him pulling him deeper into her. The thought scared him for a moment, but his thoughts were swept away as he felt her start to clenched around him. Her body shivering, muscles spasming around him as she whimpered his name along with several hissed yes's.   
In that moment Elliott was done for, he came hard, burring himself inside her, and his face against her neck as he let out a voice cracking moan. Neither of them heard the knock at the door, neither of them realised they were no longer alone.

ANGER-   
Natalie was getting increasingly worried, and a little man at Loba and Elliott's absence. Crypto had been right about one thing, it was not fair that they were doing all the work whilst those two were off doing lord knows what.  
"Ok I'm done we need to find those two I am getting worried about them." Natalie said then downing her tools, and looking over at Crypto who was just putting together the final wires.  
"Agreed." He said standing up and stretching himself slightly. It was then they both turned towards the door. The sound was coming from down the hallway, it sounded like someone was in pain. Natalie picked up her pace almost running down the hall before skidding to a stop outside of Elliott's door.  
"Here I think someone is hurt." She said knocking quickly but getting no reply. The moans seemed to get louder, and Natalie decided that she couldn't wait for an answer and pushed the door open slowly slightly afraid of what she would find.  
What Natalie saw made her suddenly and unexpectedly boil with anger, her face burning at the embarrassment, and her heart pounding wanting to yell at the two people lying naked on the bed.  
"What in the world." Crypto yelled as he stepped into the room, noticing what was going on for the first time, trying to avert his eyes from Loba's obvious nakedness and only half succeeding.  
"Shit get out what the hell guys." Elliott yelled trying to pull the sheets up over them so they at least had some cover, but he was making more of a scene trying to do it.  
"We will leave but you have some serious explaining to do, both of you." Natalie yelled, and it was enough for the two on the bed to freeze. Never having heard such anger from the small French woman before.  
Natalie stormed off down the hall, her heart pounding and her face flushed heat as she paced the living room, waiting for an explanation as to why they would take such a risk, why they would put all their lives in danger.  
Crypto came in first, he didn't look best pleased, but he seemed more upset than angry. he followed Natalie with his eyes watching as she moved from one side of the room to the other, her eyes constantly glancing at the doorway. She finally threw her hands in the air and stopped in the center of the room.  
"How long does it take to pull out mon due." She shouted in exasperation as Loba and Elliott walked into the room.  
"Well it's about time, what the hell did you think you were doing?" Natalie said her pacing resuming as Loba and Elliott's eyes followed her across the room.  
"You could have been killed, possessed, anything could have happened, just so you two could what, what I ask you is worth that?" Natalie said stopping again to stare both of them in the eye.   
"You know what I think I am done with this, you can work it out, on your own, and if you die well on your own head be it." She was virtually screaming now, and Loba didn't know weather to feel outraged or horribly guilty.  
"Natalie, please calm down, this is crazy." Loba said then trying to be the voice of reason but she could see that right now the woman was beyond angry.  
"Crazy, yes I think you have gone crazy, you must have done to go off and sleep with him in the middle of all of this." She said her breath coming in short sharp pants as Loba cautiously walked over to her and placed both hands on the smaller woman's shoulders to hold her still.  
"I'm not crazy, but maybe it wasn't the best timing, I would never intentionally put our, or your lives at risk, it was just something that happened." Loba said keeping her voice soft, having a feeling that something wasn't right here. Wattson was within her right to be angry, but the woman was almost giving herself a heart attack.  
"No, what did you go for a nap and he slipped and fell on you, it was not something that happened." She said trying to shrug Loba off, but Loba held on to her trying to look the woman in the eyes.  
"Do you like him, is that why you are so angry?" Loba then asked wondering if she had missed something, if that in fact the woman was in love with Elliott.  
"Sac le bleu, non." Natalie replied pausing to think for a moment, she was far too angry, yes what they had done was dangerous, but that wasn't enough for her to be this angry. She wasn't in love with either of them, she wasn't jealous. Natalie let out a long sigh and relaxed in Loba's grip.  
"Pardon, mon ami I just I saw you and got so angry, but I should not be, it is not often we find someone in this world. You timing leaves much to be desired though." Natalie said offering Loba a small smile as Loba dropped her hands from Natalie's shoulders and nodded her head slowly.  
"So want to tell us what you are working on?" Loba asked now steering the conversation away from her and Elliott's indiscretion.  
"Not working on, finished, or at least I think it is." Natalie said walking over to their contraption laid out on the table.

ENVY-   
Crypto seethed in the corner, he watched as Loba managed to get Natalie to calm down, and he was grateful for that, but he could not get the image of her naked underneath Elliott out of his head. It's not like he had ever asked Loba out, or even hinted to her that he liked her, but he would be lying if he hadn't thought about her in that way. Now as he watched Elliott walk over to the girls, his hand rested on the small of Loba's back. Crypto's eyes stared at it for a moment, his body almost shaking from wanting to go over there and remove Elliott's hand with force if necessary.  
Without realising it Crypto had moved forward, and suddenly he found himself right behind the pair as they stood and listened to Natalie explain her idea of an electrical dampening field. It was only a second before Crypto was wrenching Elliott's hand away from Loba and spinning the man around to face him. Elliott was so shocked that he didn't even move when Crypto pulled back his arm and punched Elliott straight in the face.  
"Tea Joon what the hell?" Loba cried as she tried to run to Elliott who was on his back on the floor holding his nose. Crypto caught her around the waist however and prevented her from going to him. Pulling her close to his chest he looked over her shoulder and shouted at Elliott who was still reeling from the sucker punch.   
"What makes you so special, it should have been me. Why would you choose that idiot over me." He said now holding Loba in a death grip, pinning her arms to her sides and death glaring at Elliott over her shoulder.  
Loba couldn't move, she was a powerful Legend but when it came right down to it Tea Joon out weight her by some amount and was stronger than her. She stopped trying to free herself and relaxed in his arms. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, there was something very off about their behavior. First Natalie's over exaggerated anger, and now Crypto's seemingly out of nowhere Jealously.  
"You never said anything, I didn't even know you felt that way." Loba said trying to calm him down, at least enough to get him to relax his grip on her, which was starting to restrict her breathing.  
"Didn't you, I thought that was your thing, reading people getting them to like you, to do what you want." He said his voice still angry, but as he spoke to her he seemed to relax a little.  
"Not exactly, but maybe if I had known, I don't know we could have talked about it." Loba said not knowing what to say, there was nothing she could say which would make this any better.  
"You mean that?" He said now turning her to face him his eyes searching hers as he looked for some sign in her face.  
"I don't know now, things have moved on, but believe me I wasn't choosing Elliott over you." Loba said now feeling a little awkward with her chest pushed firmly against his and his eyes not leaving her face for a moment.  
"You're lying." He said then as he glanced up seeing that Elliott was now on his feet and looking less than happy.  
"For god sake old man think what are you doing?" He said having realised that this was not normal behavior, not from Natalie and certainly not from Crypto.  
"You're hurting her, you don't want to do that do you?" Elliott said trying to get his friend to see sense before this got out of hand. Crypto looked from Elliott to Loba who was nodding her head, that he was indeed hurting her as he suddenly relaxed but didn't quite let her go.  
"I just I don't know why it's never me, why I never get what I want." He said now looking at Loba with a sad look on his face, as Loba managed to free her hand from his grip and placed it under his chin.  
"Listen to me Tea Joon, you will will get what you want, but what you want isn't me, think about it, don't you feel a little strange, almost consumed by this sudden feeling." She said as Crypto shook his head to clear it. His hands then dropping from her and he took a step back.  
"I am sorry I don't know what came over me, well I do, but i am not sure why." He said now feeling incredibly stupid, and unable to look Loba in the eyes.  
"I think I do." That was Elliott, he was walking towards Crypto now, but he wasn't angry and Tea Joon let him place a hand on his shoulder.  
"i might be wrong here but something is effecting us, and the only thing I can think off is the daemon, it's messing with us somehow. It can't come back because it is too week, so it is trying to play the oldest trick in the book. Divide and conquer." Elliott said looking at Loba who was leaning against the arm of the chair she was nodding her head, as Natalie went rushing out of the room all of a sudden.

GREED-  
Natalie couldn't help but make a run for her room, she had to protect all her things from the others before they stole them. She picked up D.O.C as well, and all the batteries from the kitchen draw. She would need them to protect herself from the daemon. If Elliott was right it was coming for them and soon. Closing and locking the door she grabbed all her electronic equipment and tools and stuffed them under the bed. She then realised that she had forgotten her electrophonic cage in the living room.  
"Merde." She swore under her breath as she heard foot falls on the floor outside.  
"You can't have my things, I need them all." She shouted going to the door and locking it. she paced knowing that she would have to go and get her machine, she needed it, she had to have it.  
"Natalie it's ok we don't want them, please come out." That was Loba talking, her voice as soft and smooth as ever, but Natalie knew the woman was an accomplished lyer.  
"No It's mine it all mine." Natalie shouted through the door, picking up an electrostatic prong and taking a deep breath. If they wouldn't leave then she would just have to kill them to get what she wanted. Throwing open the door, and stabbing out with the probe she found nothing but air at first. so she swung it around hitting Elliott in the face and sending him to the floor once more.  
"Damm it Natalie." Loba cried as Natalie turned to see her flip end over end and land a kick right on Natalie's side. Causing her to crash backwards into the wall. It knocked the breath right out of her, but she did not stop she needed her cage, she had to have it. Getting up and turning on the probe it flashed blue and cracked in her hand. She smiled now crouching low ready to take out anyone who came for her.  
Loba was an accomplished fighter, but the hallway was a little narrow for her style of acrobatics. Now Natalie had a weapon and it looked nasty. Loba paused as she listen to Natalie rambling about needing everything, about her cage. Then she watched as Crypto made his move trying to snatch the device off her, but only got a zap for his troubles. Loba took her opportunity and span around her leg flying out and catching Natalie on the arm, knocking the device from her hand and sending it flying across the room. The woman cried out, it must have hurt, but to Loba's surprise it wasn't in pain, she was screaming about needing her weapon back, about needing all her things.  
Elliott had recovered enough to have grabbed Wattson around the waist pinning her arms to her sides, and drag her kicking and screaming into the living room, where he could restrain her on a soft sofa. Loba quickly picked up Crypto who was still shaking off the effects of being electrocuted but they made their way quickly towards the still struggling Wattson.  
"Please, please I need my things, if this daemon comes I must have them." The woman was almost beside herself as Loba crouched down and took Natalie's face in her hands and forced the woman to look at her.  
"No you don't Nat, it's just making you think that, please take a moment, don't loose yourself in this." Loba said not breaking eye contact until the woman stopped struggling.  
"Mercy Loba, you are right, I don't know what happened, I just couldn't stop myself." Natalie said as Elliott moved off her, and allowed her to sit up.  
"I nearly killed you, I wanted to if you had got in my way." Natalie admitted as she sat upright on the sofa and looked at each of them in turn.  
"I am afraid I think I do." Loba then said standing up and perching herself on the arm of the sofa as all eyes turned to her.  
"I think we have been infected with the seven deadly sins. Lust." She said eyeing Elliott and then turning her face away.  
"Anger." A look at Wattson  
"Envy" A glance at Crypto  
"Greed" Wattson again  
"And earlier Crypto did not want to continue work, he just wanted to sit and drink, that's sloth right?" Natalie said as Loba nodded at her.  
"So what's left?" Elliott asked as Loba stood and paced the room.   
"Gluttoned and Pride, so we had better make sure the cupboards are locked up and no one starts a competitive game of kerplunk." Elliott let out a bark of laughter and Loba turned to his with a small smile, but she knew pride was one of the worst sins, she herself had been guilty of it on many an occasion, and it was almost impossible to overcome.  
"It's been distracting us, hoping we don't finish the weapon, but it's too late so it's hoping we just go ahead a kill each other, or hurt each other badly enough so we are easy prey." Loba then said as Crypto looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers for the first time since he had grabbed her earlier.  
"You think we might get infected again, that they all might come back around until we are consumed by them." He asked and Loba shuddered she hoped not but there was no way to tell. She shook her head not knowing what to say but it got the message across, they would just have to help one another through them if, and probably when it happened.  
PRIDE-  
"Maybe it's time you activated this cage, it may prevent the onset of more symptoms, I mean heaven knows I can't keep saving all your asses." Loba then said standing up and moving to the center of the room, feeling like she was the only one who was doing anything around here.  
"Well not all of our asses I remember a few punches to the face." Elliott said as Loba turned to him with an incredulous look.  
"Not my fault if your face is so smackable, you need to learn to duck." She said with a slight laugh and Elliott froze.  
"I think we are too late." He said as Crypto stood up and moved himself around behind Loba picking up the cage and fiddling with some switches, hoping that activating it would return Loba to normal.  
"I mean I even had to sleep with you to bring you back, who else would do that. in fact of it wasn't for me that daemon would have taken over Elliott and killed you all, but I stopped it, on my own, no thanks to the headphone twins over there." Loba said and Elliott had to remind himself that it was just the pride talking, it wasn't what Loba was really thinking.  
"In fact you know what I don't need any of you, or this damm contraption, I can take care of this daemon myself." She said now spinning on Crypto and launching herself at him. Her hands grabbing hold of the cage, trying to wrench it free from Crypto's grasp. He held on tightly, knowing that if Loba got her hands on it in her state she would likely destroy it. Which was exactly what the daemon wanted.  
"Let go Tea Joon, we don't need it I can handle this." She said as she pulled back and the device bent slightly, but he still did not release his grip on it.  
"We have to stop her Elliott do something." Wattson shouted as Elliott broke out of his thoughts about how much influence the daemon had had when he and Loba had been together, and how much of it was them. He looked from Wattson to Loba and then jumped up from the arm of the sofa.  
"Please Tea Joon if you let me have it, then maybe we can discuss your desire for me, the one you spoke about earlier. Perhaps we could come to some arrangement." Loba smiled at him her eyes boring into his. For a second Crypto was confused, he knew he shouldn't let go of the device, he had no real reason to, but her offer tempted him far more than it should have done.  
"No I won't." He said then quickly adverting his gaze, when the device suddenly came free and he almost fell back on his ass. Elliott had grasped Loba around her waist and hoisted her into the air, carrying her kicking out of the room and towards the bathrooms. He had no idea what he was going to do with her, but he always thought a cold shock of water brought anyone to their senses.  
"Put me down, what gives you the right to touch me." She screamed as she kicked his shins, and Elliott winced but did not stop.  
"No don't you dare, Elliott Witt I am warning you, let me go now." Loba shouted as they crashed through the door to the bathroom and into the shower cubical. He did not stop ,he didn't even bother climbing out himself. He simply turned on the cold spray and got soaked right along with her. they both yelled at the icy water touching their over heated skin. Loba's struggling became less intense, her grip on his neck loosened, and her head finally flopped onto his shoulder.  
"You think we could get out of here, I'm freezing." She then said her voice soft and smooth as usual, and Elliott turned off the shower, letting Loba slide to the floor so she could stand on her own two feet.  
"I can't believe that worked, are you ok?" He asked as water dripped off her and polled on the floor below her feet.  
"I'll live, but I should probably get changed." She said with a slight grin as Elliott blushed and moved back opening the door for them.  
"Yeah I guess I should too, oh I have some of your clothes in my room, if you wanted to avoid going into yours." Elliott then said as Loba turned to him and nodded, perhaps we should go in separately, just incase." She smiled at him, not wanting him to think she regretted what had happened, but also that now really was not a good time for them to be doing it again.  
"Sure good idea, I guess I will just wait out here, or something." Elliott said looking around nervously, and scratching at the back of his head, a habit that Loba found most endearing. She lent forward then placing a soft kiss on his cheek, unable to stop herself, but as she pulled back she was glad she had done it. The look on Elliot's face was worth a thousand sins as he smiled softly his eyes full of happiness. She said nothing, and turned to get changed out of her wet clothes, they were beginning to feel uncomfortable, for more than one reason.

When Elliott and Loba returned Natalie and Tea Joon had fixed the machine, and had turned it on. The air felt strange, like it was about to storm, it was almost so thick you could take a breath and bite into it.  
"Feel that charge, it's in the air now, like the ring in the games. The daemon will not be able to cross the barrier without being severally weekend, but I warn you, you must not touch the device while it is on, it will likely stop your heart cold in your chest.  
"Good to know." Elliott said as his tummy began to rumble and he looked at the kitchen cupboards.  
"Hey guys I am hungry, you think I got the last one." Elliott then said afraid as he turned from Loba to Natalie then finally looked at Crypto who had a drink in his hand and a bottle on the side table.  
"If you can ask I would say no, maybe you are just hungry, i haven't had anything since dinner, and that was almost eight hours ago now." Loba said checking her watch and realising it was almost four in the morning. Dawn would be here in just under two hours, then they maybe safe for a while, although she wasn't counting her chickens just yet.  
"Ok so if I grab a snack your not going to lock me up." He said cautiously approaching the kitchen and opening the fridge.  
"Not straight away no." Natalie joked as Elliott replied with a mocking Ha Ha, before pulling out last nights left over Lasagne. They all decided at that point that they were hungry, all except Crypto who said he was fine, and continued to sit on the sofa. no one noticed how much he had drank, or how drunk her already was until it was too late.

GLUTTONY-  
"Hey you guys, you think we are really going to live through this." Tea Joon's voice was slurred, and loud and quite obviously intoxicated. No one had noticed him get up, all concentrating on eating, and discussing their plan. Now he was stood at the kitchen counter, a bottle of Tennessee Whiskey in his hand and was taking a large swig of it.  
"I mean we could just kill her and it would be all over, all though I wouldn't mind taking you up on your offer from earlier, you can have the cage if you come sit on my lap." Crypto's eyebrows wiggled as Loba sat mouth slightly agape, as Elliott and Natalie both now turned in their chairs too look at him. Loba's chair afforded her a view without moving, but right now she didn't really want to look at the drunk man standing before her.  
"Damm he's an obnoxious drunk too boot. How much has he had?" Elliott asked as Natalie spied the empty bottle on the table and then the half empty one in his hand.  
"Too much we can't let him drink any more he will kill himself." She said now springing up and moving towards Tea Joon who quickly drank a few large gulps more and held the bottle high out of her reach.  
"Oh no it's mine and I will have as much as I want, now you going to take me up on my offer, or should I just get on with ending this." He then said, his voice low and dark as his eyes leveled with Loba's. for a brief moment Loba wonder why this was happening to her, but she didn't need to ask, it was the daemon, she had been plagued by one or another all her life, and now she would have to fight one again.  
"I think that would be a bad idea Crypto, I don't think you really want to do that, it's just the drink talking." She said trying to stay calm hoping they could talk him down. He looked at her before taking another gulp of the whiskey pushing Natalie away as she tried to snatch the bottle from him. He pushed her hard enough that her spine collided with the kitchen table and she yelped in pain. Elliott and Loba stood up simultaneously then, going straight for Tea Joon, determined to get the bottle from him. In the end there was no need. The bottle suddenly fell from his hands, as he collapsed to his hands a knees. Wrenching and vomiting a mixture of dark liquid onto the floor. His body having obviously reached it limit and deciding to bring back up what it could no longer hold.  
"Oh dear lord." Loba said backing up, avoiding getting vomit on her bare feet. After a few seconds when Tea Joon had not stopped however her disgust turned to worry.  
"Damm it Elliott get a towel and a bowl, we need to lie him on his side so he doesn't aspirate." Loba called as Elliot shot off down the hallway, and Loba placed her hands around Crypto's waist, gently stroking his back.  
"It's ok come up let it come out you will feel better." She said as he started to dry heave more than anything, his body wracked with spasms.  
"Come on it's ok." Loba said now feeling beyond sorry for him, as his body shook, but no more vomit came out, all that was left was the trembling of his muscles. Loba then turned Crypto on to his side and laid his head in her lap. her fingers running through his sweaty hair.  
"I'm sorry." He mumbled out feeling beyond tired, and still fuzzy from the drink.  
"No need, I'm sorry too for all of this." Loba replied as Elliott came back, handing her the towel and placing the bowl near Crypto's head, just incase. Elliott then looked down at Loba asking her softly if she was ok. She nodded back at him.  
"Go and see if Natalie is ok, I think she really hurt her back." Loba said knowing that Crypto was likely embarrassed and did not need an audience right now. Elliott did as she asked, and moved away with a soft smile, and a small caress of her shoulder. Loba tried not to blush over the touch but failed slightly as Elliott noticed and winked at her. She turned her face back to Crypto's not wanting to get into that with Elliott right now.  
"You know I didn't really mean what I said, i would never hurt you, let alone kill you." Crypto then ventured as he saw Elliott leave.  
"I know, and hey I think it might be over now, that's all seven we made it, we are stronger than our temptations, or maybe we are just not as sinful as we think." Loba replied not mentioning the fact he didn't apologize for wanting her to sit on his lap, but that too could wait for another day.

TBC...  
The longest chapter known to man, and still this story is not done. Please comments on a post card, let me know if this chapter works I hope I got the tone right, as well as working in all the sins. i love a challenge Thank you for reading XxX


	8. Something wicked this way comes

Something wicked this way comes

Crypto had passed out on Loba's lap, she really didn't want to move him, but she also couldn't say sitting on the cold hard floor. She looked up to see Elliott coming towards her, he had left Natalie on the sofa, her back was already starting to bruise and it was a wonder she hadn't actually broken anything.  
"You ok?" he asked her quietly as Loba nodded back at him, her hand resting on Crypto's shoulder, as he began to snore.  
"Could you help me move him, my butt is going numb." She said with a small smile, as Elliott crouched down and accessed the situation.  
"Sure, I guess we could put him on the other sofa, Natalie is on one, her back looks pretty bad." Elliott said as he stood back up and glanced over at the French woman, who was lying on her stomach now, the ice pack they always kept in the freezer resting on her wound.  
"Yeah sounds fine, I guess we may have to wake him, seems a shame though." Loba said allowing her hand to run through Crypto's hair in what was, for her a friendly gesture, but as she looked back up and saw Elliott's expression, she realised that he had not seen it that way. His eyebrows had furrowed together, his lips a hard thin line, and his eyes were locked on to where her hand had been caressing Crypto's hair.  
"I guess, but you can't really stay there." His voice was clipped and Loba frowned, this was not like Elliott, he wasn't a naturally jealous person, and yet here he was having some kind of mental fart about a simple touch.  
"No I can't so how about you help me get him up and put him somewhere he isn't going to hurt himself." Loba replied her voice colder now, more firm, and Elliott's eyes now shifted to her, but he did not smile or offer any form of apology. He simply bent down, grabbed Crypto under the arm pits and lifted him limp form from her body. Loba stood up, helping Elliott support a now half awake Crypto, and maneuver him towards the sofa. They managed to get him there, and as soon as the hacker was placed on his side, laying with his head facing outwards, the man was once again asleep.  
"Ok now what, we are two down, and this thing is still out there, still probably trying to mess with us." Elliott said but he wasn't looking at her, he had moved back towards the kitchen. Loba followed him with her eyes, but moved towards Natalie.  
"I don't know, I need to think, we need to think." She corrected herself, as she patted the younger woman's shoulder and gently asked her if she was ok. Natalie had partially fallen asleep. Loba didn't blame her, it had been the longest night of her life, and right now, if she was to lay down, Loba was sure that even given the situation she too would fall asleep.  
"I will live I'm positive." Natalie said, her voice sounding as sleepy as her eyes looked. Loba offered her a small smile, and a soft pat on the shoulder.  
"Will this cage of yours keep the daemon out?" Loba asked as Natalie turned her head to look at her.  
"For now at least yes, but I am sure it will find a way through given enough time, plus we will loose power eventually, unless I can find a more stable source." Natalie said trying to sit up, but the pain on her face was evident. Loba held on to the woman's shoulder, and shook her head.  
"Rest now, you will be no good to us if you hurt yourself further. I am sure we have enough time for you to rest." Loba smiled, her hand now running though the blond curls at the back of Natalie's neck. She took a quick glance back at Elliott, he didn't seem to be paying them any attention. It was obvious that her interaction with Natalie was not eliciting the same response as when she had been touching Tea Joon.   
Loba stood up and turned herself towards the kitchen to find Elliott glass in hand, whiskey bottle on the counter.  
"Don't you think that had caused enough problems?" Loba said her voice still harsh, she hadn't meant it to sound so accusatory, but it did stop Elliott from taking a drink.  
"Probably, but right now I need this, I need something, before I go completely mad." He then placed the glass to his lips and drank the contents in one go. Loba winced as Elliott put the glass down so hard it banged against the counter. She could no longer ignore the strange behavior Elliott was displaying. The thought that the daemon had taken him over again passed through her mind. in some ways it would be an easier explanation than Elliott had simply gone mad. Loba walked over to the kitchen and snatched the bottle of whiskey from the counter, preventing Elliott from having any more. Of course if he really wanted it, he could take it from her, but he just looked at her, his eye dark, his face hard.  
"If you wanted a drink you could have just asked." He said but his voice was clipped, and Loba had had enough of this.  
"You tell me right now what is eating at you, or I am getting D.O.C and electrocuting you again, because you are starting to worry me, and I'm not even sure you're even Elliott anymore." There was an element of fear in her voice that finally softened Elliott's expression, but he was still not really looking at her, and holding the glass just that little bit too tightly.  
"Please." Loba then said placing the bottle back on the counter and watching as Elliott seemed to almost deflate in front of her.  
"I just can't stand the fact that what we did wasn't real, that, that thing made us, or at least you do what we did." Elliott then admitted and Loba reached forward offering him her hand. Elliott eyed it for a second before taking it and holding her hand almost so gently she had to look to see if he was really holding it, or if it was just her imagination.  
"Look I don't know how much influence the daemon had on us, but I do know I don't regret what we did. I maybe regret how we did it, I mean it's not exactly something I would usually do. I mean I would at least expect dinner first." Loba smiled at him, it was a shy smile, and Elliott couldn't help but smile back at her. He was glad that she wasn't feeling regret about what had happened, that at least was some comfort. He lifted his head, and their eyes met, and for a moment he was lost there.   
"Hey we get through this maybe we can try and do things properly." She then said and Elliott was suddenly so happy that his smile felt like it was enveloping his entire face.  
"Yeah sure, I mean that would be great, If you are sure I mean you don't need to feel obli, oblie, like you have to." He stuttered as Loba gave his hand a small squeeze before she pulled away from him and stood up straight.  
"Believe me I never do anything I don't want to." Loba replied and Elliott assumed she was not including recent events in that statement. Loba then turned to check on their friends, and she immediately noticed the space where Crypto had once occupied. Her body tensed and her eyes desperately scanned the living room.  
"Elliott?" Her voice held fear, but there was something else beyond that, and Elliott jumped out from behind the counter and ran to the sofa, he checked behind it, looked down in the corner, and finally turned to the door, and peered down the darkened corridor.

"He's gone, I didn't see him go. I..." Elliott's voice trailed off, and he looked at Loba who's eyes were locked on the table behind him. Elliott turned now and could not see anything. Natalie was stirring on the sofa having been previously asleep. She winced as she woke, and made a move to rub at her back.  
"It's gone, the cage is gone, and if he touched it, it means he also turned it off." Loba then said as Natalie suddenly fully awakened, pulling herself painfully to a sitting position.  
"Mon dieu, how could this be, why would crypto do such a thing." Natalie said as Elliott helped her to stand and she too looked around the room.  
"He must be here somewhere, we must find him a reactivate the cage." She said but as she moved it was pretty obvious that the woman was in significant pain.  
"Hey why don't you stay here and work on plan B just incase he has done something to it." Loba then said placing her hand on Natalie's shoulder, and the smaller woman nodded at her.  
"I will do my best mom ami." Natalie said taking a seat and gathering her things from the table. Loba watched as the woman started working immediately, and Loba had to admit she was impressed with the young woman, she was unbelievably smart, it was almost scary.  
"Ok let's go find Crypto before he does something we all regret." Loba said, as she and Elliott headed slowly down the dimly lit corridor.

They went room to room, opening the doors and turning on the light straight away. The darkness, and what could lie beyond it was far too scary to be looked at even for a moment. Elliott placed his hand on Lifelines door, the last one to check.   
"I'm telling you if we find him swinging from the light I'm out of here, I don't think my poor heart can take any more." Loba looked at him and took him by the shoulders forcing him to look at her. His face was pale and his eyes slightly blood shot, she was pretty sure she didn't look much better.  
"Don't you say that don't you even think it, you here me." Her voice was firm, and her grip was just as strong, and Elliott gave her a nod and opened the door. Loba reached round and flicked on the light. The room was just like all the others, silent and empty. Elliott let out a sigh, it was one of relief, but now they had a problem, the only room they hadn't checked was Wraith's. It's where they had put everyone, it was like a blood bath in there, and by now there was a very particular smell coming from under the gap in the door. It then occurred to Loba that ninety percent of the rooms they had checked had belonged to the dead. No respawn, no second chance, they were gone. She shuddered as they approached the last closed door. They had left the rest open, it was somehow better, not just because the lights from the room now lit the corridor, but they were no longer mysterious caverns of death.  
"I'm not sure about this, if he has gone in there, he can damm well stay there." Elliott said as Loba listened, she could here something, it sounded like dripping water. It had recently rained and it could be falling from the roof, but she didn't think so. The direction was wrong, the sound quality was not that of rain water falling on concrete. it was hollow, with a slight echo. Loba then took a few paces back, listening hard, until she stopped in front of the bathroom door.  
"Listen." she said as Elliott approached her and looked at the closed door. It almost seemed to taunt him. Making him wonder what horrors lie beyond it's deceptively innocent brown wood.   
"You here it?" Loba asked and Elliott nodded.  
"Someone probably just didn't turn the shower off properly." He said but even he didn't believe it as Loba reached forward and pushed open the door. Elliott leaned forward and turned on the light, the room seemed empty, but the dripping had gotten louder and also was somehow picking up pace. From a slow drip, drip drip. It was now almost a constant noise, with barely any pause between the splashes hitting, what Loba was now positive was the shower basin. She moved forward slowly, reaching behind her and taking hold of Elliott's hand. He grabbed it tightly, offering not only support, but also taking his own comfort from her.  
"Here." She said reaching for the shower curtain, and pulling it back quickly. Just like a band aid it was best done fast to prevent prolonging the pain. It didn't however stop the gasp falling from Loba's lips, and her body jumping backwards until she was stopped by Elliott's chest.  
"Oh god." Elliott said then as his arms went around Loba's middle stopping her from falling over completely as her knees buckled under her at the shock. The dripping had not been water from the shower, but blood, coming from Crypto's severed throat. The wound was so deep his head was lulling to one side. He had been hung by the back of his jacket to the shower hook, his feet dangled a few inches above the basin, and a growing pool of blood was collecting at his feet, and then running away down the drain.  
"No, no, no this can't be happening, if Crypto had been possessed by the daemon, and taken the cage, why would it kill him, and how?" Loba then said righting herself as feeling came back into her legs after the initial shock.  
"I don't know maybe it did what it had to do, and left him. But then I guess it couldn't kill him because it wouldn't have a body. Shit." Elliott said as Loba span around to face him, they were so close he could see the golden flecks in her eyes.  
"Natalie." Loba hissed, now pushing past him and running out of the door. Elliott had no choice but to follow her, even though everything was telling him to grab her and run anywhere, anywhere that wasn't here.

They both ran down the hallway, until the lights went out, and they could no longer see anything. even the emergency lights were out now. Loba skidded to a halt right in front of the door, and Elliott only just managed to stop before he slammed into her. It was only then he realised why she had stopped so abruptly, and why he could see her at all. The glow coming from the living room was because Natalie was floating in the center, small flashes of electric running across her body, and face. Her eyes were glowing a blue green colour and her mouth held a grin that would have probably scared the devil himself. Razor sharp teeth lined the once attractive girls mouth, clawed tipped hands rested on what was once their protection, but now seemed to be protecting the daemon. The cage was emitting small sparks, and encompassing Natalie in a soft blue haze.  
"I did it Papa I won." The voice was horribly distorted, and Loba felt like she couldn't breath.  
"Natalie, Natalie I'm so sorry." Loba shouted hoping that the woman could here her, and most importantly believed her.  
"Now I will kill everyone, this one, him, and anyone who comes here, unless you agree to for fill your destiny. If you run I will follow you, If you hide I will find you, and now I have this you can't remove me from this or any other body." The thing that used to be Wattson said now drifting down to set it's self lightly on the floor.  
"No you can't have her. Loba no." Elliott shouted as Loba stepped forward. And squared off her shoulders.  
"Fine, I have dealt with nightmares all my life, I am not scared to end another one." Elliott then noticed the knife in her hand, it was the one he had given her earlier from the kitchen. It was sharp, but would be of little use against the daemon. It took Elliott only a moment to realise what Loba was planning, but it was a moment too long as she plunged the knife into her own chest, and let out a strangled cry before falling to her knees.  
"Nooooo!" The daemon yelled, almost in unison with Elliott's cry of Loba's name. he rushed towards her, her body collapsing back into his arms as he fell to his knees, and supported her head.  
"It was the only way." she whispered , her face worryingly pale, as blood covered Elliott's hands and body. he dared not look at the knife sticking up from her chest, but chose only to look at her eyes.  
"No you bitch, what have you done." Elliott glanced up at Natalie, she was writhing in pain, it seemed that as Loba died in his arms, the daemon was dying to. That whatever connection they shared was fading.  
"Loba please its dying, don't leave me." Elliott said a tear dropping off his nose and landed on Loba's cheek. It looked like she was now crying too, but her face was now pale, blank. She had gone. Elliott sobbed now, uncaring if the daemon came back and finished him off. In fact he welcomed it, he had lost everything, and everyone, he didn't want to be alone.  
A hand then landed on his shoulder. He looked up slowly expecting his end to swift, and blissful. It was Natalie looking back at him, but she wasn't glowing, she had no claws now and her face was full of angst.  
"Move I can help her."  
"The daemon?" Elliott asked as he lay Loba softly on the carpet and moved back.  
"Gone, permanently this time, now I must work." She said pulling the knife from Loba's chest, and placing her hands over the wound. She zapped her body, making Loba arch off the carpet. Once twice and then a third time, before Natalie reached over and pulled D.O.C towards them, connecting the bots diodes to Loba's body. She was bathed in a soft blue glow as Natalie held both of Loba's hands in her own and began to glow with her.  
"I'm helping." she stated but it was to no one in particular as Elliott watched Loba's chest wound begin to heal. Then it began to rise and fall as Loba started to breath, her mouth dropping open to suck in oxygen. Then her eyes snapped open and Elliott dropped to his knees, looking down at her face. Her eyes flicking to his as the glow surrounding them retreated and Natalie fell back onto her haunches panting slightly.  
"Thank you." Loba whispered her gaze shifting to the French woman, as a shard of light stuck her face. The sun had come up, the day was going to be clear and bright, last night storm nothing but a memory.  
"You're welcome." Natalie said as Loba tried to sit up but she was weak dizzy, until Elliott's arm went around her back and lifted her to a sitting position.  
"It's gone?" It was a question, but Elliott suspected that Loba already knew the answer, as a small smile graced her lips.  
"Yes, for good this time, your death broke the deal, and sent it back to where it came from, I heard it's thoughts, saw it leave. You are lucky I may not have been able to save you." Natalie said as Loba shifted so she was supporting herself more, although she did not remove herself from Elliott's touch completely.  
"I wasn't expecting to come back at all, I just wanted to save you, I wanted to save everyone." Her voice was barely above a whisper, as her face turned to Elliott's. it was obvious he had been crying. Her hand went to his cheek and wiped away the remaining tears that lingered there. Elliott lent into her touch as Natalie stood up.  
"I will go and let Hammond know what has happened, I expect this might take some explanation." She said leaving the pair with a pat to Elliott's shoulder. Natalie closed the door behind her, her body shaking both with effort and shock, but she pulled herself upright and made her way to her room. She would contact Hammond from there and tell them something, there was no way they would believe the truth, but what else did she have.

Loba, with Elliott's help stood up on wobbly legs. For a moment she thought she was going to have to sit back down, but finally she got her knees to lock and she took a few steps forward towards the window.  
"Not bad for a dead woman." She said turning her head towards Elliott who was both smiling and crying at the same time. Loba reached out and took his face in her hands.  
"Those better be happy tears." She said as Elliott smiled and wiped at his own cheeks before bringing his hands down to her waist and pulling her into a tight embrace. Any thoughts of insecurity or doing the wrong thing now gone. She had been dead, he might never have even seen her again, let alone get to hold her and talk to her. As it was Loba hugged him back, almost fiercely and he couldn't help the tears that once again fell from his eyes. As she pulled away he noticed that her face wasn't dry either, that she had been crying silently on his shoulder, but now she pulled away from him and turned once more to the window. Her eyes looking out over the hills that rolled away from the lodge.  
"You know I saw my parents, when I was gone, they were waiting for me." Loba said, her voice sounded far away, wistful and Elliott stepped forward wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close so she was leaning on him. Her head on his shoulder, her own arm going behind his back to rest on his hip.  
"I'm glad you saw them, that you know they are waiting for you, but how about we live a little first." Elliott said and he felt Loba nod against his shoulder.  
"I think I would like that, but what's this we business, you planning on something Mr Witt." Loba asked the smile now obvious in her voice, and Elliott looked down at her briefly before turning his eyes back to the glorious sunrise.  
"Well yeah I mean, I would like to, with you, or at least maybe see what happens." He said now feeling nervous again.  
"I would like that too." She replied as Elliott gave her a small squeeze and play his head on top of her own.  
Loba let out a sigh, she didn't know whether her vision of her parents was real, or something her dying mind had created, but it was good to know that there might be something after this life, but she wasn't quite finished here. Not now, not when from something so dark had born something new and wonderful, how in tragedy there could still be hope.  
"I will see you again, I promise." Loba said her voice aimed upwards slightly as Elliott started rubbing a slow pattern against her side, and Loba turned her head so she was now looking at him.

"But not yet, not yet."

THE END

I am sorry this took so long, but my life has been crazy lately, but now it is done I do hope you enjoyed it, and thank you all for reading, the comments and the kudos. XxX

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my Halloween offering, i was considering doing the kinktober thing but I just don't have the time to write that many stories, so here it is a little spooky offering for the scariest month. I hope to have it finished by Halloween itself but I guarantee nothing.


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